New York S 7981: Relates to the performance of medical services by physician assistants

Bill Text

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S07981 Summary:

BILL NOS07981 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A07988

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SPONSORRIVERA

&nbsp

COSPNSRHINCHEY, MAY

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MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §§6542 & 902, Ed L; amd §§3701 & 3703, Pub Health L

&nbsp

Relates to the performance of medical services by physician assistants; provides that a physician assistant may practice without the supervision of a physician when such physician assistant is employed by a health system or hospital and is credentialed and given privileges by such health system or hospital, or when such physician assistant is licensed, has practiced for more than six thousand hours, is practicing in primary care, and is performing certain functions.

Go to top S07981 Actions:

BILL NOS07981 

&nbsp

05/15/2025REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Go to topS07981 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS07981 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS07981 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 7981

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 May 15, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. RIVERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation
 to the performance of medical services by physician assistants

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of section 6542 of the educa-
 2 tion law, as amended by chapter 520 of the laws of 2024, are amended and
 3 two new subdivisions 1-a and 9 are added to read as follows:
 4 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a physician assistant
 5 may perform medical services, but only when under the supervision of a
 6 physician and only when such acts and duties as are assigned to such
 7 physician assistant are within the scope of practice of such supervising
 8 physician unless otherwise permitted by this section.
 9 1-a. A physician assistant may practice without the supervision of a
 10 physician under the following circumstances:
 11 (a) Such physician assistant is employed by a health system or hospi-
 12 tal established under article twenty-eight of the public health law,
 13 such physician assistant meets the qualifications of the medical staff
 14 bylaws of and is credentialed by such health system or hospital, and
 15 such health system or hospital gives such physician assistant privi-
 16 leges; or
 17 (b) Such physician assistant, licensed under section sixty-five
 18 hundred forty-one of this article:
 19 (i) has practiced for more than six thousand hours;
 20 (ii) is practicing in primary care, which for the purposes of this
 21 paragraph shall mean general pediatrics, general adult medicine, general
 22 geriatric medicine, general internal medicine, mental health services or
 23 psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, emergency medi-
 24 cine, urgent care, or such other related areas as determined by the
 25 commissioner of health; and

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD11539-01-5

 S. 7981 2

 1 (iii) is performing any of the following functions:
 2 (1) taking patient histories;
 3 (2) performing physical examinations;
 4 (3) triaging patients based on recognition of abnormal vital signs,
 5 examination findings, and/or general observations;
 6 (4) ordering, performing, reviewing and interpreting diagnostic,
 7 radiology, toxicology and laboratory tests and screenings;
 8 (5) formulating diagnoses;
 9 (6) administering clinical interventions with informed consent;
 10 (7) referring patients to other professionals;
 11 (8) counseling patients and family, guardians and caregivers on
 12 preventable conditions and lifestyle modifications, promoting early
 13 detection and prevention of medical conditions;
 14 (9) identifying and reporting signs of abuse and neglect and/or traf-
 15 ficking;
 16 (10) following best practice immunization standards for every patient
 17 population;
 18 (11) managing end of life and palliative care in accordance with the
 19 patient's preferences and autonomy, including advanced directives;
 20