Nevada AB 284: Revises provisions relating to physician assistants. (BDR 54-728)

Bill Text

A.B. 284
- *AB284*

ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 284–ASSEMBLYWOMEN
WOODBURY AND TITUS

MARCH 14, 2017
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JOINT SPONSOR: SENATOR HARDY
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Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to physician assistants.
(BDR 54-728)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to professions; providing for the licensure and
regulation of physician assistants by the Board of Medical
Examiners rather than by the Board of Medical Examiners
and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine; authorizing
a physician assistant who is licensed in this State or in
another state or territory of the United States to provide
voluntary health care service in this State in association
with a sponsoring organization without the supervision of
a supervising physician; creating the Committee on
Physician Assistants appointed by the Board of Medical
Examiners; requiring the Committee to review and
provide recommendations to the Board of Medical
Examiners on each application for licensure as a
physician assistant; authorizing a physician assistant to
render medical care without the supervision of a
supervising physician when responding to an emergency
or disaster; revising provisions relating to the licensure of
physician assistants by the Board of Medical Examiners;
designating physician assistants as primary care providers
under certain circumstances; and providing other matters
properly relating thereto.

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- *AB284*
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law authorizes a provider of health care who is licensed or certified in 1
this State or another state or territory of the United States to provide voluntary 2
health care service in this State without charge to the patient if the service is 3
provided in association with a sponsoring organization that is registered with the 4
Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human 5
Services. (NRS 629.450) Section 1 of this bill authorizes a physician assistant to 6
provide such voluntary health care service without the supervision of a supervising 7
physician. Section 7 of this bill authorizes a physician assistant to perform medical 8
services without the supervision of a supervising physician when the rendering of 9
such medical services is in response to an emergency or disaster, as declared by a 10
governmental entity. 11
Existing law generally provides for the regulation of physician assistants in this 12
State by the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic 13
Medicine. (Chapters 630 and 633 of NRS) Section 108 of this bill repeals the 14
provisions in chapter 633 of NRS that authorize the State Board of Osteopathic 15
Medicine to license, regulate and discipline physician assistants and, instead, 16
sections 9 and 10 of this bill provide for the Board of Medical Examiners to 17
license, regulate and discipline physician assistants. Section 4 of this bill creates 18
the Committee on Physician Assistants, consisting of seven members appointed by 19
the Board of Medical Examiners. Section 4 requires the Committee to review all 20
applications for a license as a physician assistant and make a recommendation to 21
the Board of Medical Examiners on the approval of such applications. Section 13 22
of this bill authorizes the Board to approve any application for a license as a 23
physician assistant if the applicant is otherwise qualified and the Committee 24
recommends approval of the application. Section 9 removes provisions that 25
allowed the Board of Medical Examiners to deem a person’s general education and 26
practical training sufficient for licensure as a physician assistant. Section 10 27
authorizes an osteopathic physician to be a supervising physician pursuant to the 28
provisions of chapter 630 of NRS. Sections 14 and 15 of this bill remove the 29
requirement for an applicant for a license by endorsement to practice as a physical 30
therapist to have a certification in a specialty recognized by the American Board of 31
Medical Specialties. 32
Section 5 of this bill authorizes a physician assistant to request to be placed on 33
inactive status if the physician assistant will not be practicing as a physician 34
assistant in this State. Sections 16, 53, 69, 70 and 98-105 of this bill designate 35
physician assistants as primary care providers for various programs and insurance 36
provisions in this State. Sections 18-52, 54-68 and 71-97 of this bill make 37
conforming changes. 38

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. NRS 629.450 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
629.450 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the 2
contrary and except as otherwise provided in this section, a provider 3
of health care may provide voluntary health care service in this