Massachusetts S 1608: An Act relative to the equality of wage and recruitment of the Massachusetts State Police

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 534 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1608

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jacob R. Oliveira
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to physician assistant interstate compact.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Jacob R. Oliveira Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester
Jason M. Lewis Fifth Middlesex 2/18/2025
Steven George Xiarhos 5th Barnstable 2/24/2025
Bruce E. Tarr First Essex and Middlesex 2/26/2025
Barry R. Finegold Second Essex and Middlesex 4/8/2025
Michael O. Moore Second Worcester 7/30/2025

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 534 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1608
By Mr. Oliveira, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1608) of Jacob R. Oliveira, Jason
M. Lewis, Steven George Xiarhos and Bruce E. Tarr for legislation relative to physician assistant
interstate compact. Public Health.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to physician assistant interstate compact.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 112A the
2 following chapter:-
3 Chapter 112B. Physician Assistant Licensure Compact.
4 Section 1. In order to strengthen access to medical services, and in recognition of the
5 advances in the delivery of medical services, the participating states of the physician assistant
6 licensure compact have allied in common purpose to develop a comprehensive process that
7 complements the existing authority of state licensing boards to license and discipline physician
8 assistants and seeks to enhance the portability of a license to practice as a physician assistant
9 while safeguarding the safety of patients. This compact allows medical services to be provided
10 by physician assistants, via the mutual recognition of the licensee’s qualifying license by other
11 compact participating states. This compact also adopts the prevailing standard for physician
12 assistant licensure and affirms that the practice and delivery of medical services by the physician

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13 assistant occurs where the patient is located at the time of the patient encounter, and therefore
14 requires the physician assistant to be under the jurisdiction of the state licensing board where the
15 patient is located. State licensing boards that participate in this compact retain the jurisdiction to
16 impose adverse action against a compact privilege in that state issued to a physician assistant
17 through the procedures of this compact. The physician assistant licensure compact will alleviate
18 burdens for military families by allowing active duty military personnel and their spouses to
19 obtain a compact privilege based on having an unrestricted license in good standing from a
20 participating state.
21 Section 2.
22 As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words shall
23 have the following meanings:
24 “Adverse action”, any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action permitted
25 by a state’s laws which is imposed by a licensing board or other authority against a
26 physician assistant license or license application or compact privilege such as license denial,
27 censure, revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee, or restriction on the
28 licensee’s practice.
29 “Compact privilege”, the authorization granted by a remote state to allow a licensee from
30 another participating state to practice as a physician assistant to provide medical services and
31 other licensed activity to a patient located in the remote state under the remote state’s laws and
32 regulations.

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33 “Conviction”, a finding by a court that an individual is guilty of a felony or misdemeanor
34 offense through adjudication or entry of a plea of guilt or no contest to the charge by the
35 offender.
36 “Criminal background check”, the submission of fingerprints or other biometric based
37 information for a license applicant for the purpose of obtaining that applicant’s criminal history
38 record information, as defined in 28 C.F.R. § 20.3(d), from the state’s criminal history record
39 repository as defined in 28 C.F.R. § 20.3(f).
40 “Data system”, the repository of information about licensees, including but not limited to
41 license status and adverse actions, which is created and administered under the terms of this
42 compact.
43 “Executive committee”, a group of directors and ex-officio individuals elected or
44 appointed pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (f) of section 7.
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