Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2525 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R21304 JCG-D
2	2	By: Zerwas, Oliverson, Parker H.B. No. 2525
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2525:
4	4	By: Hernandez C.S.H.B. No. 2525
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the regulation of physician assistants and
10	10	anesthesiologist assistants.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Section 204.060 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 204.060. ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANT ADVISORY
15	15	COMMITTEE. (a) The anesthesiologist assistant advisory committee
16	16	consists of seven members appointed by the presiding officer of the
17	17	physician assistant board.
18	18	(b) The committee consists of:
19	19	(1) four anesthesiologist assistants; and
20	20	(2) three physician anesthesiologists.
21	21	(c) The committee members serve:
22	22	(1) at the will of the presiding officer of the
23	23	physician assistant board; and
24	24	(2) without compensation or reimbursement for
25	25	expenses incurred in the performance of duties as a committee
26	26	member.
27	27	(d) The committee shall:
28	28	(1) meet at the call of the presiding officer of the
29	29	physician assistant board; and
30	30	(2) provide recommendations to the physician
31	31	assistant board on matters related to the regulation of
32	32	anesthesiologist assistants as requested by the presiding officer
33	33	of the physician assistant board.
34	34	SECTION 2. The heading to Section 204.102, Occupations
35	35	Code, is amended to read as follows:
36	36	Sec. 204.102. POWERS AND DUTIES OF MEDICAL BOARD RELATING
37	37	TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANTS.
38	38	SECTION 3. Section 204.102(a), Occupations Code, is amended
39	39	to read as follows:
40	40	(a) The medical board shall adopt rules consistent with this
41	41	chapter to regulate:
42	42	(1) physician assistants;
43	43	(2) [and] physicians who supervise physician
44	44	assistants;
45	45	(3) anesthesiologist assistants; and
46	46	(4) physician anesthesiologists who supervise
47	47	anesthesiologist assistants.
48	48	SECTION 4. Section 204.151, Occupations Code, is amended to
49	49	read as follows:
50	50	Sec. 204.151. LICENSE REQUIRED; EXCEPTION. (a) A person
51	51	may not practice as a physician assistant in this state unless the
52	52	person holds a physician assistant license issued under this
53	53	chapter.
54	54	(b) An anesthesiologist assistant is not required to obtain
55	55	a license under this chapter and may practice as an
56	56	anesthesiologist assistant under the delegated authority of a
57	57	licensed physician.
58	58	SECTION 5. Section 204.152(a), Occupations Code, is amended
59	59	to read as follows:
60	60	(a) The physician assistant board shall issue a physician
61	61	assistant or anesthesiologist assistant license to an applicant
62	62	who:
63	63	(1) meets the eligibility requirements of Section
64	64	204.153 or 204.1535, as applicable;
65	65	(2) submits an application on a form prescribed by the
66	66	board;
67	67	(3) pays the required application fee;
68	68	(4) certifies that the applicant is mentally and
69	69	physically able to function safely as a physician assistant; and
70	70	(5) submits to the board any other information the
71	71	board considers necessary to evaluate the applicant's
72	72	qualifications.
73	73	SECTION 6. The heading to Section 204.153, Occupations
74	74	Code, is amended to read as follows:
75	75	Sec. 204.153. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PHYSICIAN
76	76	ASSISTANT LICENSE.
77	77	SECTION 7. Section 204.153(a), Occupations Code, is amended
78	78	to read as follows:
79	79	(a) To be eligible for a physician assistant license under
80	80	this chapter, an applicant must:
81	81	(1) successfully complete an educational program for
82	82	physician assistants or surgeon assistants accredited by the
83	83	Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician
84	84	Assistant [Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation]
85	85	or by that commission's [committee's] predecessor or successor
86	86	entities;
87	87	(2) pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying
88	88	Examination administered by the National Commission on
89	89	Certification of Physician Assistants or the commission's
90	90	successor entity;
91	91	(3) hold a certificate issued by the National
92	92	Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or the
93	93	commission's successor entity;
94	94	(4) be of good moral character;
95	95	(5) meet any other requirement established by
96	96	physician assistant board rule; and
97	97	(6) pass a jurisprudence examination approved by the
98	98	physician assistant board as provided by Subsection (a-1).
99	99	SECTION 8. Subchapter D, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
100	100	amended by adding Section 204.1535 to read as follows:
101	101	Sec. 204.1535. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR
102	102	ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANT LICENSE. To be eligible for an
103	103	anesthesiologist assistant license under this chapter, an
104	104	applicant must:
105	105	(1) successfully complete an educational program for
106	106	anesthesiologist assistants accredited by the Commission on
107	107	Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or by that
108	108	commission's predecessor or successor entities;
109	109	(2) pass the Certifying Examination for
110	110	Anesthesiologist Assistants administered by the National
111	111	Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants or the
112	112	commission's successor entity;
113	113	(3) hold a certificate issued by the National
114	114	Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants or the
115	115	commission's successor entity;
116	116	(4) be of good moral character;
117	117	(5) meet any other requirement established by
118	118	physician assistant board rule; and
119	119	(6) pass a jurisprudence examination approved by the
120	120	physician assistant board that is comparable to the examination
121	121	under Section 204.153(a-1).
122	122	SECTION 9. Section 204.201, Occupations Code, is amended to
123	123	read as follows:
124	124	Sec. 204.201. NOTICE OF INTENT TO PRACTICE. (a) Before
125	125	beginning practice, each person [physician assistant] licensed
126	126	under this chapter shall submit on a form prescribed by the
127	127	physician assistant board notice of the license holder's intent to
128	128	practice. The notice must include:
129	129	(1) the name, business address, license number, and
130	130	telephone number of the license holder [physician assistant]; and
131	131	(2) the name, business address, Texas license number,
132	132	and telephone number of the license holder's [physician
133	133	assistant's] supervising physician or supervising physician
134	134	anesthesiologist, as applicable.
135	135	(b) A license holder [physician assistant] shall notify the
136	136	physician assistant board of any change in, or addition to, the
137	137	person acting as a supervising physician or supervising physician
138	138	anesthesiologist, as applicable, [for the physician assistant] not
139	139	later than the 30th day after the date the change or addition
140	140	occurs.
141	141	SECTION 10. The heading to Section 204.202, Occupations
142	142	Code, is amended to read as follows:
143	143	Sec. 204.202. SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT.
144	144	SECTION 11. Subchapter E, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
145	145	amended by adding Section 204.2025 to read as follows:
146	146	Sec. 204.2025. SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR ANESTHESIOLOGIST
147	147	ASSISTANT. (a) The practice of an anesthesiologist assistant
148	148	includes providing medical services delegated by a supervising
149	149	physician anesthesiologist that are within the education,
150	150	training, and experience of the anesthesiologist assistant.
151	151	(b) Medical services provided by an anesthesiologist
152	152	assistant may include:
153	153	(1) obtaining an appropriate and accurate
154	154	pre-anesthetic health history;
155	155	(2) performing an appropriate physical examination
156	156	and recording pertinent information in an organized and legible
157	157	manner;
158	158	(3) performing diagnostic laboratory and related
159	159	studies as appropriate, including drawing arterial and venous blood
160	160	samples;
161	161	(4) performing the insertion of invasive monitoring
162	162	modalities, including transesophageal echocardiography probes,
163	163	arterial lines, pulmonary artery catheters, and central venous
164	164	lines, as delegated by the supervising physician anesthesiologist;
165	165	(5) administering anesthetic agents and controlled
166	166	substances, including administering induction agents, maintaining
167	167	and altering anesthesia levels, administering adjunctive
168	168	treatments, and providing continuity of anesthetic care into and
169	169	during the post-operative recovery period;
170	170	(6) establishing airway interventions and performing
171	171	ventilation support;
172	172	(7) applying, performing, and interpreting advanced
173	173	monitoring techniques;
174	174	(8) using advanced life support techniques, including
175	175	high frequency ventilation and intra-arterial cardiovascular
176	176	assist devices;
177	177	(9) monitoring patients after the administration of
178	178	anesthesia by recording patient progress notes, compiling and
179	179	recording case summaries, and transcribing standing and specific
180	180	orders;
181	181	(10) evaluating and treating life-threatening
182	182	situations, including performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, on
183	183	the basis of established protocols, including basic life support,
184	184	advanced cardiac life support, and pediatric advanced life support
185	185	protocols; and
186	186	(11) performing duties in intensive care units, pain
187	187	clinics, and other settings, as delegated by the supervising
188	188	physician anesthesiologist.
189	189	SECTION 12. Section 204.204, Occupations Code, is amended
190	190	by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
191	191	(d) An anesthesiologist assistant must be supervised by a
192	192	supervising physician anesthesiologist in the same manner that a
193	193	physician assistant is supervised by a supervising physician under
194	194	Subsections (a), (b), and (c), except that during the provision of
195	195	any anesthesia service by an anesthesiologist assistant, the
196	196	supervising physician anesthesiologist shall maintain a physical
197	197	proximity that enables the supervising physician anesthesiologist
198	198	to be immediately available if needed.
199	199	SECTION 13. As soon as practicable after the effective date
200	200	of this Act, the presiding officer of the Texas Physician Assistant
201	201	Board shall appoint seven members to the anesthesiologist assistant
202	202	advisory committee in accordance with Section 204.060, Occupations
203	203	Code, as added by this Act.
204	204	SECTION 14. (a) Sections 204.152 and 204.153, Occupations
205	205	Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 204.1535, Occupations
206	206	Code, as added by this Act, apply only to an application for a
207	207	license submitted to the Texas Physician Assistant Board on or
208	208	after the effective date of this Act. An application submitted
209	209	before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
210	210	effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law
211	211	is continued in effect for that purpose.
212	212	(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
213	213	Act, the Texas Physician Assistant Board or Texas Medical Board, as
214	214	appropriate, shall adopt rules necessary to implement the changes
215	215	in law made by this Act to Chapter 204, Occupations Code.
216	216	SECTION 15. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.