The Signing Physician · 2026-W36
Three states still put you in the building: NP proximity rules, mapped
No research changes and no state bill feed this week, so the issue turns on where the law says the collaborating physician must physically be. Two federal notices touch the workforce data and prescriber-registration side of the duty.
On the docket
Two federal items with a bearing on the supervising physician; state legislatures were not searched this week.
DEA order against a nurse practitioner registrant published as a final decision
The Drug Enforcement Administration published its Decision and Order in the matter of Catina Allen, N.P., an action against an individual nurse practitioner's registration. For a physician who signs collaborative agreements, registrant-level DEA actions are the record of what happens to a mid-level prescriber's own authority, separate from the state agreement.
Source: Federal Register: Catina Allen, N.P.; Decision and Order
HRSA seeks comment on revising its health workforce performance data collection
HRSA announced plans to submit a revised Information Collection Request for Bureau of Health Workforce performance data (OMB No. 0906-0086) and is taking public comment on the burden estimate before it goes to OMB. The collection covers the workforce programs that place nurse practitioners, physician assistants and physicians in shortage sites, which is where supervision and collaboration obligations are most often attached to funding.
Source: Federal Register: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Re
Number of the week
3 jurisdictions codify a physical-presence or radius rule for nurse practitioners; 44 accept remote availability or set no rule at all.
Alabama: on-site presence required
Alabama is one of the three jurisdictions where the collaborating physician's duty includes being physically on site, not merely reachable.
Georgia: within a set radius of 50 miles
Georgia sets the obligation as a distance: the physician must be within 50 miles, which caps how far apart the practice sites in one agreement can sit.
Tennessee: on-site presence required
Tennessee also codifies physical presence, so an agreement there commits your time in a place, not just your availability by phone.
Alaska: no proximity requirement
Alaska sets no proximity rule for nurse practitioners.
Arizona: no proximity requirement
Arizona sets no proximity rule for nurse practitioners.
Arkansas: available remotely
Arkansas is satisfied by remote availability, so the duty is measured in responsiveness rather than location.
California: available remotely
California accepts remote availability for the collaborating physician.
Every outside claim carries the source it was read from this week. Our own research dates are on each state page. Published 2026-09-05.