Around the Domes: Feb. 7 State Legislative Update

State legislatures across the country are considering bills that could reshape how healthcare teams function, with several proposals expanding independent practice authority and revising licensure pathways for a range of non-physician providers. ACR^® tracks hundreds of state bills every year – here are just some of the bills we are watching.

Scope of Practice

Florida

House Bill (HB) 375 would allow certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) to practice independently under specific conditions. It would also allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) the ability to provide certain certifications and endorsements typically reserved for physicians.

Senate Bill (SB) 668 would allow physician assistants (PAs) who have completed 3,000 clinical practice hours within the last five years and have no recent disciplinary actions to practice independently.

Iowa

House File (HF) 2125 would change the name of physician assistants to “physician associates.”

Michigan

HB 5455 would enjoin Michigan into the interstate medical licensure compact. This allows physicians who meet the compact’s eligibility requirements to practice medicine in other compact states.

North Dakota

HB 1622 would enjoin North Dakota into the PA licensure compact. This compact allows PAs who meet their eligibility requirements to practice in other compact states.

New Mexico

HB 10 would enjoin New Mexico into the PA licensure compact.

HB 127 would require the New Mexico Medical Board to expedite its licensing process so that qualified applicants receive their licenses within 30 days of application.

SB 1 would enjoin New Mexico into the interstate medical licensure compact.

Oklahoma

HB 4430 would allow PAs with 6,240 or more hours of postgraduate clinical practice experience to be exempt from the requirement to practice under the supervision of a delegating physician.

HB 4431 would require APRNs or their employers to maintain malpractice insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in the aggregate per year.

Virginia

HB 746 would allow PAs with three years of full-time clinical experience to practice without a written or electronic practice agreement.

Washington

HB 1784 would allow certified medical assistants to enter and activate orders for certain healthcare services.

Wisconsin

Assembly Bill (AB) 438 would permit PAs who have completed 7,680 hours of supervised clinical practice to practice independently. This bill would also change the name of physician assistants to “physician associates.”

Certificate of Need

Alabama

SB 82 would eliminate the certificate of need (CON) requirement for new or expanded medical facilities and health care services in rural areas.

Prior Authorization

Alabama

SB 63 would mandate that health insurers cannot rely solely on AI for coverage determinations; instead, qualified health care professionals must make decisions to deny or reduce coverage. This bill would also require insurers to inform enrollees about the use of AI in their coverage determinations.

Maine

Senate Paper (SP) 531 would make the following changes regarding the use of AI in medical review and utilization review determinations:

• AI must not discriminate against enrollees based on personal characteristics. 
  
• Any determinations made using AI must be conducted by a qualified clinical peer to ensure fairness and accuracy in the decision-making process.

Oklahoma

HB 3675 mandates that any adverse determination made by AI must be reviewed by a qualified human professional before it is finalized.

SB 2038 would prohibit health insurance issuers from making adverse consumer outcomes based solely on AI decisions.

For more information about these bills, contact Dillon Harp, ACR^® Senior State Government Relations Specialist.

ACR is committed to supporting its chapters in their state-level advocacy efforts. The College also has resources available for members through the State Issues homepage and can assist with the delivery of legislative calls-to-action and grassroots mobilization.

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 or receive state-specific reports from Fiscal Note.

For state-level calls to action or to sign up to receive Fiscal Note reports, chapter leaders should contact Eugenia Brandt, ACR Senior Government Relations Director, or Melody Ballesteros, ACR Assistant Director of Government Relations.