State Lawmakers Maintain Momentum With Introduction of Legislation

This week the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) witnessed state lawmakers introduce legislation ranging from expanding provider scope of practice to healthcare data privacy.

Scope of Practice

Maine

Legislative Draft 2043 would enjoin the state of Maine into the physician assistance (PA) licensure compact. This compact allows PAs who meet its eligibility requirements to practice in other compact states.

Mississippi

Senate Bill (SB) 2377 would allow an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed 3,600 practice hours to be exempt from the requirement of entering a collaborative relationship with a physician.

Washington

House Bill (HB) 1917 would enjoin the state of Washington into the PA licensure compact. This compact allows PAs who meet its eligibility requirements to practice in other compact states.

HB 2041 and SB 5815 would allow a PA who has completed 4,000 hours to practice without a collaborative agreement with a physician.

Health Data Privacy

Illinois

HB 4093 would make the following changes regarding healthcare data privacy:

• A regulated entity must disclose and maintain a health data privacy policy that clearly and conspicuously discloses specified information.
• States that it is unlawful for any person to sell or offer to sell health data concerning a consumer without first obtaining valid authorization from the consumer.
• A consumer has the right to withdraw consent from the collection, sharing, sale or storage of their health data.

Telehealth

Alaska

SB 91 would allow an out-of-state physician or an out-of-state member of the physician’s multidisciplinary care team to provide a healthcare service through telehealth to a patient located in Alaska only if the healthcare service is not reasonably available in the state.

The 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, contact Eugenia Brandt, ACR Senior Government Affairs Director, or Dillon Harp, ACR Senior Government Relations Specialist.