State Legislatures Are Active As May Begins

The month of May is busy in state capitals across the nation as many state legislatures look to the end of their legislative sessions.  The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) is providing this weekly update on state bills. 

Scope of Practice

Connecticut

Senate Bill (SB) 1050 was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health. This bill would enjoin Connecticut into the interstate medical licensure compact. The interstate medical licensure compact allows physicians who meet the compact’s eligibility requirements to practice medicine in other compact states.

SB 1064 was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health. This bill would allow an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) who is relocating to Connecticut and has practiced for more than 2,000 hours to practice independently.

Massachusetts

S 215  was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health. It would allow physical therapists (PTs) to administer and interpret diagnostic imaging.

Mississippi

HB 813 died in committee. The bill would have permitted a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) to practice independently if they had a current and active CRNP license from the state and had at least 10,000 hours of documented clinical practice.

North Dakota

SB 2273 was signed into law by Governor Armstrong. This bill allows PTs to order diagnostic imaging.

Oklahoma

SB 442 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. It would change the definition of “interventional pain management” in Oklahoma from “the practice of medicine” to the “delivery of health care services.” This bill would also allow Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists certified in nonsurgical pain management to perform fluoroscopy.

South Carolina

HB 3579 was referred to the House Committee on Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs. The bill would allow PAs with more than 2,000 hours of experience to practice without physician supervision. This bill would also expand the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners from 13 to 15 members and require that two are PAs.

Texas

HB 1942 was voted favorably out of the House Insurance Committee. This bill would allow a health maintenance organization (HMO) to contract directly with APRNs to provide healthcare services on the HMO’s behalf, regardless of whether the supervising physician provides healthcare services for the HMO.

Washington

SB 5299 died in committee. The bill would have permitted a physician to provide virtual direct supervision when a radiological technologist (RT) is performing intravenous contrast procedures. Virtual direct supervision in Washington was defined in the bill as: “supervision of a procedure that is furnished under the overall direction and control of a licensed physician where the physician is not required to be physically present during the performance of the procedure but is immediately available to assist through real-time audio and visual interactive telecommunications.”

Private Equity

Connecticut

SB 567 was referred to the Joint Public Health Committee. It would expand the authority of the attorney general and the commissioner of Health Strategy to regulate private equity ownership of certain healthcare facilities and restrict self-dealing property transactions.

The ACR Bulletin recently highlighted scope of practice in their April issue, highlighting the work of the New York State Radiological Society, the Michigan Radiological Society and the Iowa Radiological Society. The issue also featured a column from Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, MA, FACR, Chair, ACR Board of Chancellors about scope of practice.

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 offers resources for members through the State Issues page and can assist with delivering legislative calls to action and grassroots mobilization.

ACR partners 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.