Texas 2017 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2194 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/10/2017

                    85R3749 JCG-F
 By: Buckingham S.B. No. 2194


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to physician assistant services performed as volunteer
 care.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 204.2045, Occupations Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 Sec. 204.2045.  VOLUNTEER CARE AND SERVICES PERFORMED DURING
 DISASTER. (a) The supervision and delegation requirements of this
 chapter and Subtitle B do not apply to medical tasks performed by a
 physician assistant:
 (1)  during a disaster under the state emergency
 management plan adopted under Section 418.042, Government Code;
 (2)  during [, or] a disaster declared by the governor
 or United States government; or
 (3)  as a volunteer for a charitable organization or at
 a public or private event, including a religious event, sporting
 event, community event, or health fair.
 (a-1)  This section does not apply to medical tasks performed
 by a physician assistant for compensation or other remuneration.
 (b)  A physician assistant performing medical tasks under
 this section:
 (1)  is entitled to the immunity from liability
 provided by Section 74.151, Civil Practice and Remedies Code; and
 (2)  is acting within the scope of the physician
 assistant's license for purposes of immunity under Section
 84.004(c), Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
 (c)  A physician assistant may perform tasks described by
 this section:
 (1)  under the supervision of any physician who is also
 performing volunteer work in the disaster, for the charitable
 organization, or at the public or private event; or
 (2)  without the supervision of a physician, if a
 physician is not available to provide supervision.
 (d)  A physician assistant employed by the United States
 government or licensed in another state may perform medical tasks
 in this state in circumstances described by Subsection (a) without
 holding a license in this state.
 SECTION 2.  Section 204.2045, Occupations Code, as amended
 by this Act, applies only to services performed on or after the
 effective date of this Act. Services performed before that date are
 governed by the law in effect on the date the services were
 performed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
 purpose.
 SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.