The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Christine Arbo Peck.
DIGEST
SB 166 Engrossed 2019 Regular Session LaFleur
Present law provides for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants by the Louisiana State
Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME). Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that a physician assistant shall provide healthcare services at the direction and
under the supervision of a LSBME approved supervising physician. Proposed law retains physician
involvement in the delivery of health care and LSBME approval, but changes the relationship from
one of supervision to one of sponsoring.
Present law provides that the supervising physician is legally responsibility for the physician
assistant's patient care activities. Proposed law removes professional liability from the physician and
places all legal responsibility for the activities of the physician assistant on the physician assistant.
Effective August 1, 2019.
(Amends R.S. 37:1360.21(B) and (D), 1360.22(5), (7), and (8), 1360.23(A), (C), (D) and (G),
1360.28(A), (B)(intro para), and (B)(3), 1360.29(A)(intro para), (A)(2), (3) and (4), and
(B),1360.30(B), 1360.31(A), (B), (C)(1), (2)(a)(ii), (iii) and (iv), and (D), 1360.32, and 3003(4)(a);
repeals R.S. 37:1360.23(I))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to the
original bill
1. Changes the relationship between the physician assistant and physician from
collaboration to sponsoring.
2. Clarifies that a physician assistant must hold a current license issued by LSBME to
be eligible to apply for prescriptive authority.
3. Clarifies that the legal responsibility for a physician assistant is that of the physician
assistant regardless of care setting.
4. Provides that a physician assistant can refer or order occupational therapy for a
patient.
5. Makes technical corrections.