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Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP) FAQs

What is the Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP)?

The Licensure Portability Grant Program (LPGP) is a discretionary grant opportunity from HHS HRSA (CFDA 93.211). It is designed to help state professional licensing boards work together to reduce legal and regulatory barriers that make it difficult for clinicians to provide telemedicine (telehealth) across state lines.

What problem is the LPGP trying to solve?

The program targets barriers created by the fact that telehealth care does not fit neatly within state boundaries, while most providers must be licensed in the state where the patient is located. LPGP funding supports cooperative, multi-state licensing efforts that preserve patient safety while making cross-state practice more practical and less burdensome.

What is the main goal of LPGP-funded projects?

The main goal is to support multi-state efforts by state professional licensing boards to develop and implement state laws, regulations, and related policies that improve licensure portability for telehealth.

Who is the intended applicant for this opportunity?

Eligibility is directed broadly to state professional licensing boards across many disciplines. The announcement explicitly invites applications from clinical, non-clinical, counseling, and other licensing boards (with examples such as nursing and social work), reflecting that telehealth spans many types of services.

Is the program limited to physician licensure?

No. The announcement notes that applicants are not limited to physicians and encourages applications from a wide range of boards and disciplines, including areas like nursing and social work.

Does the program focus only on telehealth, or on broader workforce issues too?

While licensure portability is framed as a way to reduce barriers for telehealth, the announcement also ties it to broader workforce and access needs, especially for rural and underserved areas facing provider shortages and rising demand for services.

What types of activities does HRSA expect grantees to carry out?

Based on the description, recipients are expected to support multi-state licensing efforts by developing and implementing laws, regulations, and related policies; gathering and sharing best practices; communicating successful strategies to other states and stakeholders; and keeping the field informed about emerging licensing policy changes that affect telehealth.

What does HRSA mean by leveraging experience and spreading proven models?

HRSA emphasizes using the experience of boards that already have a strong track record with cross-border licensing activities and applying that expertise to help other states adopt approaches that work, rather than having each state independently reinvent processes.

How does the program address patient safety?

The program is described as supporting cooperative, multi-state licensing efforts that preserve patient safety while reducing unnecessary burdens associated with cross-state telehealth practice.

What is meant by "licensure portability" in this grant context?

Licensure portability refers to strategies that make it easier for health professionals to practice across state lines (including via telehealth) by reducing duplicative or unnecessary licensing steps across states, through multi-state cooperation on laws, regulations, and policies.

What kinds of multi-state strategies can LPGP support?

The announcement describes a continuum of strategies. On the simpler end, projects may focus on standardizing processes (such as uniform online applications shared across multiple states). On the more ambitious end, projects may support the development of multi-state licensure compacts intended to streamline how providers become licensed in multiple jurisdictions.

Are uniform online applications an example of an eligible or encouraged approach?

Yes. The description notes that past recipients have used grant support to create uniform online applications shared across multiple states, reducing paperwork and speeding up multi-state licensure for certain professions such as physicians and psychologists.

Do licensure compacts fall within the scope of this grant?

Yes. The program supports the development of multi-state licensure compacts and presents them as an effective approach based on prior efforts funded under this authority.

Is the program primarily about administrative streamlining for boards?

Administrative streamlining is part of the rationale. The announcement suggests that streamlined processes could allow boards to devote more time and resources to core public protection functions like oversight, enforcement, and discipline, rather than repetitive administrative licensing work. At the same time, the central focus remains multi-state solutions that reduce telehealth licensure barriers while maintaining patient safety.

What does the grant say about telemedicine versus telehealth?

The announcement uses telemedicine and telehealth interchangeably for purposes of the opportunity.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this posting?

The posting is identified as Funding Opportunity Number HRSA-16-014.

What agency is offering the grant?

The opportunity is offered by HHS HRSA.

What is the CFDA number listed for the program?

The program is identified with CFDA 93.211.

When was this opportunity posted and when was the application deadline?

This specific posting was listed as posted on November 17, 2015, with an application deadline of January 19, 2016.

How many awards were anticipated for this opportunity?

The opportunity anticipated making two awards.

What is the award ceiling for this funding opportunity?

The listing shows an award ceiling of 0. The description indicates this typically means applicants should rely on the full funding announcement for exact award size details rather than treating the field as a stated maximum.

Is this a formula grant or a discretionary grant?

The LPGP is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.

What kinds of outcomes is LPGP trying to encourage across states?

The program is intended to act as a catalyst for spreading proven multi-state licensing models, so that states can adopt effective approaches more efficiently. It also aims to improve access to care, particularly in rural and underserved areas, by making cross-state practice (including remote care) more feasible.

What is the geographic focus of the work?

The work is inherently multi-state. The opportunity is specifically aimed at helping state professional licensing boards partner with other states to address cross-state licensure barriers affecting telehealth.

Does the grant focus on legal and regulatory changes, operational changes, or both?

Both. The program emphasizes developing and implementing state laws, regulations, and related policies, and it also describes practical process improvements such as uniform online applications and other standardized approaches across states.

What is the underlying assumption about where licensure is required?

The announcement notes that most providers must be licensed in the state where the patient is located, which creates a barrier when telehealth crosses state lines.