New Mexico SB 35: ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANTS CHANGES

Bill Text

SJC/SB 35
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AN ACT
RELATING TO ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANTS; REVISING PRACTICE
REQUIREMENTS AND EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS; INCREASING THE NUMBER
OF ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANTS THAT AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST MAY
SUPERVISE; REQUIRING IN-PERSON SUPERVISION; REPEALING LAWS
2015, CHAPTER 52, SECTION 5.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. That version of Section 61-6D-2 NMSA 1978
(being Laws 2015, Chapter 52, Section 4, as amended) that is
to become effective July 1, 2025 is amended to read:
"61-6D-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Anesthesiologist
Assistants Act:
A. "anesthesiologist" means a physician licensed
to practice medicine in New Mexico who has successfully
completed an accredited anesthesiology graduate medical
education program, who is board certified by the American
board of anesthesiology, the American osteopathic board of
anesthesiology or is board eligible, who has completed a
residency in anesthesiology within the last three years or
who has foreign certification determined by the board to be
the substantial equivalent and who is an employee of the
department of anesthesiology of a medical school in
New Mexico;
B. "anesthesiologist assistant" means a skilled

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person licensed by the board as being qualified by academic
and practical training to assist an anesthesiologist in
developing and implementing anesthesia care plans for
patients under the supervision and direction of the
anesthesiologist who is responsible for the performance of
that anesthesiologist assistant;
C. "applicant" means a person who is applying to
the board for a license as an anesthesiologist assistant;
D. "board" means the New Mexico medical board; and
E. "license" means an authorization to practice as
an anesthesiologist assistant."
SECTION 2. Section 61-6D-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2001,
Chapter 311, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:
"61-6D-8. RULES.--
A. The board may adopt in accordance with the
State Rules Act and enforce in accordance with the Uniform
Licensing Act reasonable rules:
(1) for setting qualifications of education,
skill and experience for licensure of a person as an
anesthesiologist assistant;
(2) for providing procedures and forms for
licensure and annual registration;
(3) for examining and evaluating applicants
for licensure as an anesthesiologist assistant regarding the
required skill, knowledge and experience in developing and

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implementing anesthesia care plans under supervision;
(4) for allowing a supervising
anesthesiologist to temporarily delegate supervisory
responsibilities for an anesthesiologist assistant to another
anesthesiologist;
(5) for allowing an anesthesiologist
assistant to temporarily serve under the supervision of an
anesthesiologist other than the supervising anesthesiologist
with whom the anesthesiologist assistant is registered; and
(6) to carry out the provisions of the
Anesthesiologist Assistants Act.
B. The board shall not adopt a rule allowing an
anesthesiologist assistant to perform procedures outside the
anesthesiologist assistant's scope of practice.
C. The board shall adopt rules:
(1) establishing requirements for
anesthesiologist assistant licensing, including:
(a) completion of a graduate level
training program accredited by the commission on
accreditation of allied health education programs;
(b) successful completion of a
certifying examination for anesthesiologist assistants
administered by the national commission for the certification
of anesthesiologist assistants; and
(c) current certification by the

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American heart association in advanced cardiac life-support
techniques;
(2) establishing minimum requirements for
continuing education of not less than forty hours every two
years;
(3) requiring adequate identification of the
anesthesiologist assistant to patients and others;
(4) requiring the presence, except in cases
of emergency, and the documentation of the presence, of the
supervising anesthesiologist in the operating room during
induction of a general anesthetic and during emergence from a
general anesthetic, the presence of the supervising
anesthesiologist within the operating suite and immediate
availability to the operating room at other times when the
anesthetic procedure is being performed and requiring that
the anesthesiologist assistant comply with the above
restrictions;
(5) requiring the supervising
anesthesiologist to ensure that all activities, functions,
services and treatment measures are properly documented in
written form by the anesthesiologist assistant. The
anesthesia record shall be reviewed, countersigned and dated
by the supervising anesthesiologist;
(6) requiring the anesthesiologist assistant
to inf