The Pennsylvania House has passed legislation that would ban noncompete clauses for physicians, certified registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Noncompete contracts entered on or after the bill is passed would be void unless the primary employer of the practitioner is located in specified counties, the noncompete is no more than two years or the restriction is less than a 45-mile radius. The bill now heads to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration.
"This legislation deals with employment contracts for healthcare providers, but it's really about patient care — it protects the long-term patient-caregiver relationship that builds trust and improves outcomes," state Rep. Dan Frankel, majority chairman of Pennsylvania's House Health Committee, said in an April 17 news release. "We know it's not always easy to find the right healthcare provider, and it's important that our laws not interfere with your ability to maintain that crucial relationship."
Physicians in many states are battling to reform noncompete clauses, which prohibit them from seeing patients one to two years within a geographic region if they are fired or quit their job.
In March, the Florida Legislature declined to pass two laws banning noncompetes for physicians and doctors of osteopathic medicine. A bill amending Washington's noncompete policy, adding protections for workers following instances that have arisen since the state moved to restrict noncompetes in 2019, was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on March 13.