Many state legislatures have either adjourned for the year or will do so very soon. Below is an update regarding bills tracked by the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) state government relations team.
Arizona
House Bill (HB) 2043 eliminates the supervision agreement requirement for a physician assistant (PA) that has at least 8,000 hours of clinical practice. Instead, the PA is required to collaborate with, consult or refer to the appropriate healthcare professional as indicated by the patient’s condition.
HB 2043 was signed into law by Gov. Hobbs.
Georgia
HB 150 would have allowed physical therapists (PT) to order diagnostic imaging and use ultrasound.
The bill failed to make it out of committee.
Senate Bill (SB) 197 makes the following changes regarding truth in advertising (TIA):
- Communications or statements by a healthcare practitioner must include the practitioner's name and the type of license to provide services.
- Communications or statements by a healthcare practitioner that include misleading terms or false representations are prohibited.
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) and PAs must verbally identify themselves during each patient interaction in a clinical setting.
- If an APRN or PA holds a doctorate and identifies themselves with the title doctor in a clinical setting, they must clearly state that they are not a medical doctor or physician.
This bill was signed into law by Gov. Kemp.
Montana
HB 409 would have enjoined Montana into the APRN compact. The compact allows APRNs who meet its eligibility requirements to practice in other compact states.
This bill failed to advance out of committee.
Nevada
Assembly Bill 364 would remove physician supervision of a PA after completing 4,000 hours of practice under a collaborative agreement with a physician.
This bill passed the Assembly and was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor.
Texas
SB 1700 would allow for the independent practice of an APRN. This includes the ability to order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests.
This bill has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) has partnered with Fiscal Note, a legislation and regulation tracking service, to provide continuous, comprehensive updates on radiology and healthcare-related legislation. To stay current on state legislative developments relevant to radiology, view the ACR policy map. You can also access information and ACR resources about scope of practice.
For more information about state legislative activities or if you need any guidance on legislation in your state, contact Eugenia Brandt, ACR Senior Government Affairs Director, or Dillon Harp, ACR Senior State Government Relations Specialist.