Montana Attorney General Opinion 15-178

Opinion No. 178 Nurses-Registration-Fees- l\lisdemeanor. HELD: Each nurse must pay an annual fee of $1.00 and shall not be permitted to practice without securing a re-registration each year, and when a nurse continues to practice without making such payment, such nurse may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor. April 24, 1933. You have requested my opinion in relation to the yearly renewal of reg- istration by nurses. The original act in relation to regis- tration of nurses is contained in Chap- tel' 228 of the Political Code of the State of Montana, 1921, which provides for the issuance of a certificate of reg- istration by the governor. (R. C. 3203). Chapter 129 of the Laws of 1929, con- taining Section 3211A as amended, pro- vides that during the month of De: cember of each year c,-ery registered nurse shall renew his or her certifi~ cate of registration for the year be- ginning January 1 with the board of examiners for nur£>es, for which re- newal a fee of $1.00 shall be paid to the treasurer of said board. " Section 3214 It C. :\f. 19"21 proyides that it shall be unlawful for a person to hold himself or herself out as a trained, graduate, or registered nurse, who shall not be registered in accord- ance with the provisions of this act. The act is not as clear as could be desired. It appears to be the intent of the act as amended that each' nurse shall pay an annual fee of $1.00 find shall not be permitted to practice with- out securing a re-registration each year and that when a nurse 'continues to practice without making such parment, such nurse may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor.