Around the Domes: Feb. 21 State Legislative Update

State lawmakers are looking at a mix of bills that could change how clinicians practice and how tools like AI are used in care. This roundup gives a quick look at the proposals moving in several states and what they could mean for providers.

Scope of Practice

Hawaii
House Bill (HB) 2285 / Senate Bill (SB) 3104 would enjoin Hawaii into the interstate nurse licensure compact and the advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) compact. These compacts would allow individuals who meet certain eligibility requirements to practice in other compact states.

Oklahoma
HB 4430 would allow physician assistants (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. Under this bill, PAs not under a practice agreement would be required to carry malpractice insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence and $3 million in the aggregate per year.

South Carolina
H 3580 would permit APRNs who meet certain criteria to practice independently. The bill would specifically allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to engage in ionized fluoroscopy.

Virginia
HB 1501 would direct the Virginia Boards of Medicine and Nursing to assess the feasibility of creating a temporary or provisional licensure pathway for APRNs.

Certificate of Need

Rhode Island
HB 7143 would require healthcare providers to obtain prior review and approval from the health services council and the state agency before exceeding defined monetary thresholds for new services or equipment.

Medical Malpractice

Missouri
SB 1598 would establish a two-year statute of limitations for malpractice claims involving health care, including those that utilize AI. This bill also sets monetary limits on non-economic damages in cases of catastrophic personal injury or death, capping recovery at $700,000.

Prior Authorization

Hawaii
HB 1787/ SB 2768 would mandate that, before any adverse actions, such as denial of prior authorization, a licensed health care provider must conduct an independent review of the claim if AI was used.

SB 2281 would require providers to disclose the use of AI before or during patient interactions and to provide instructions for contacting a human health care provider. Additionally, prior to making significant decisions influenced by AI, providers must give written notice to patients, outlining the purpose of the AI system and allowing patients to opt out of data processing for profiling.

Oklahoma
SB 1967 would require health benefit plans to notify enrollees about the use of AI tools in their processes.

Vermont
H 776 would mandate that any adverse coverage determinations made through AI must be conducted by a licensed human health care provider.

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 page 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.