The Bihar Nurses Registration (Amendment) Act, 2026

Short title, extent and commencement.-

1. (1) This Act may be called the Bihar Nurses Registration (Amendment) Act, 2026.
2. (2) It shall extend to the whole of the State of Bihar.
3. (3) It shall come into force from the date of publication in the official gazette.

Amendment of section 2.— In section 2 of the Bihar and Orissa Nurses Registration Act, 1935 (hereafter in this act referred to as the principal Act) after sub-section (l), the following sub-section shall be inserted, which is as follows:—

1. (m) “Self-certification means a certificate submitted by a nurse, health visitor, midwife, trained dai or dai registered with the Indian Nursing Council or with the Nursing Council of any State other than the State of Bihar, in the format as prescribed by the State Government.”

Insertion of new section 10A.—After section 10 of the principal Act the following section shall be inserted, which is as follows:— “10A- Practice on submission of self-certification:—

1. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any nurse, health visitor, or midwife whose name is validly entered in the register of the Indian Nursing Council or any other State Nursing Council, shall be entitled to lawfully practice in the State of Bihar, without requiring a No Objection Certificate
   • (NOC) from the previous state nursing council or fresh local registration, provided that they submit a self-certification to the council.
2. (2) The council shall maintain a register of nurses, health visitors, and midwives practicing in the state on the basis of self-certification.
3. (3) The Council shall have the power to suspend the right to practice within the State of Bihar for any personnel operating under the self-certification model who is found guilty of professional misconduct.
4. (4) Where the right to practice of any personnel is suspended under sub-section
5. (3) of this section, such suspension shall be marked in the register maintained under sub-section (2) of this section and shall be communicated to the parent department or state nursing council or Indian Nursing Council.

Provided that Any nurse, health visitor, or midwife lawfully practicing in the state under the self-certification provisions of this section shall be treated as a registered nurse, health visitor, or midwife for the purposes of section 21 of this Act.”

Amendment of section 17 :- In section 17 of the principal Act, in sub-section (2), after the existing clauses, the following clause shall be inserted, which is as follows:—

1. (f) to determine the format, procedural guidelines, and the administrative mechanism for the submission of self-certification by nursing personnel registered in any other State Nursing Council or the Indian Nursing Council, the power to prescribe which shall be vested exclusively in the State Government.”

Repeal and Savings.-

1. (1) The Bihar Nurses Registration (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 (Ordinance No. - 02, 2026) is hereby repealed.
2. (2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken in exercise of any power conferred by or under the said ordinance shall be deemed to have been done or taken in exercise of the powers conferred by or under this Act as if this Act were in force on the day on which such thing was done or action taken.

Practice on submission of self-certification:—

1. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any nurse, health visitor, or midwife whose name is validly entered in the register of the Indian Nursing Council or any other State Nursing Council, shall be entitled to lawfully practice in the State of Bihar, without requiring a No Objection Certificate
   • (NOC) from the previous state nursing council or fresh local registration, provided that they submit a self-certification to the council.
2. (2) The council shall maintain a register of nurses, health visitors, and midwives practicing in the state on the basis of self-certification.
3. (3) The Council shall have the power to suspend the right to practice within the State of Bihar for any personnel operating under the self-certification model who is found guilty of professional misconduct.
4. (4) Where the right to practice of any personnel is suspended under sub-section (3) of this section, such suspension shall be marked in the register maintained under sub-section (2) of this section and shall be communicated to the parent department or state nursing council or Indian Nursing Council. Provided that Any nurse, health visitor, or midwife lawfully practicing in the state under the self-certification provisions of this section shall be treated as a registered nurse, health visitor, or midwife for the purposes of section 21 of this Act.