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S.B. 139

             1     

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT AMENDMENTS

             2     
2010 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             5     
House Sponsor: Rebecca D. Lockhart

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions in the Utah Code relating to physician assistants.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    changes membership requirements for the Physician Assistant Licensing Board;
             13          .    updates the names of the national accrediting boards;
             14          .    permits a supervising physician to delegate to a licensed physician assistant on a
             15      temporary basis, the supervision of physician assistant students;
             16          .    extends a temporary license up to 120 days to physician assistant students to pass
             17      the national exam;
             18          .    modifies definitions; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          58-70a-201, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1997, Chapter 229
             27          58-70a-302, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 183

             28          58-70a-305, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1997, Chapter 229
             29          58-70a-306, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1997, Chapter 229
             30          58-70a-503, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1997, Chapter 229
             31     
             32      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             33          Section 1. Section 58-70a-201 is amended to read:
             34           58-70a-201. Board.
             35          (1) There is created the Physician Assistant Licensing Board, which consists of seven
             36      members:
             37          (a) [four] three licensed physicians, at least two of whom are individuals who are
             38      supervising or who have supervised a physician assistant[, and one of whom may be a member
             39      of a physician licensing board under Section 58-67-201 or 58-68-201 ];
             40          (b) [one] three physician [assistant; (c) one person who] assistants, one of whom is
             41      involved in the administration of an approved physician assistant education program within the
             42      state; and
             43          [(d)] (c) one person from the general public.
             44          (2) The board shall be appointed and serve in accordance with Section 58-1-201 .
             45          (3) The duties and responsibilities of the board are in accordance with Sections
             46      58-1-202 and 58-1-203 . In addition, the board shall designate one of its members on a
             47      permanent or rotating basis to:
             48          (a) assist the division in reviewing complaints concerning the unlawful or
             49      unprofessional conduct of a licensee; and
             50          (b) advise the division in its investigation of these complaints.
             51          (4) A board member who has, under Subsection (3), reviewed a complaint or advised
             52      in its investigation may be disqualified from participating with the board when the board serves
             53      as a presiding officer in an adjudicative proceeding concerning the complaint. The board
             54      member may be disqualified:
             55          (a) on [his] the member's own motion, due to actual or perceived bias or lack of
             56      objectivity; or
             57          (b) upon challenge for cause raised on the record by any party to the adjudicative
             58      proceeding.

             59          Section 2. Section 58-70a-302 is amended to read:
             60           58-70a-302. Qualifications for licensure.
             61          Each applicant for licensure as a physician assistant shall:
             62          (1) submit an application in a form prescribed by the division;
             63          (2) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504 ;
             64          (3) be of good moral character;
             65          (4) have successfully completed a physician assistant program accredited by the
             66      [Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs;]:
             67          (a) Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant; or
             68          (b) if prior to January 1, 2001, either the:
             69          (i) Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; or
             70          (ii) Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation;
             71          (5) have passed the licensing examinations required by division rule made in
             72      collaboration with the board;
             73          (6) meet with the board and representatives of the division, if requested, for the
             74      purpose of evaluating the applicant's qualifications for licensure; and
             75          (7) (a) if the applicant desires to practice in Utah, complete a form provided by the
             76      division indicating:
             77          (i) the applicant has completed a delegation of services agreement signed by the
             78      physician assistant, supervising physician, and substitute supervising physicians; and
             79          (ii) the agreement is on file at the Utah practice sites; or
             80          (b) complete a form provided by the division indicating the applicant is not practicing
             81      in Utah and, prior to practicing in Utah, the applicant will meet the requirements of Subsection
             82      (7)(a).
             83          Section 3. Section 58-70a-305 is amended to read:
             84           58-70a-305. Exemptions from licensure.
             85          In addition to the exemptions from licensure in Section 58-1-307 , the following persons
             86      may engage in acts included within the definition of practice as a physician assistant, subject to
             87      the stated circumstances and limitations, without being licensed under this chapter:
             88          (1) a student enrolled in an accredited physician assistant education program while
             89      engaged in activities as a physician assistant:

             90          (a) that are a part of the education program;
             91          (b) that are conducted under the direct supervision of a:
             92          (i) physician associated with the program; [and] or
             93          (ii) licensed physician assistant, at the request of the supervising physician and on a
             94      temporary basis, as defined by rule;
             95          (c) for which the program accepts in writing the responsibility for the student; and
             96          (2) [a person acting as] a "medical assistant," as defined in Sections 58-67-102 and
             97      58-68-102 , [and] who:
             98          (a) is working under the direct supervision of a physician;
             99          (b) does not diagnose, advise, independently treat, or prescribe to or on behalf of any
             100      person; and
             101          (c) for whom the supervising physician accepts responsibility.
             102          Section 4. Section 58-70a-306 is amended to read:
             103           58-70a-306. Temporary license.
             104          (1) An applicant for licensure as a physician assistant who has met all qualifications for
             105      licensure except passing an examination component as required in Section 58-70a-302 , may
             106      apply for and be granted a temporary license to practice under Subsection (2).
             107          (2) (a) The applicant shall submit to the division evidence of completion of a physician
             108      assistant program as defined in Subsection 58-70a-302 (4).
             109          (b) The temporary license:
             110          (i) shall be issued [for a period ending on the earlier of the date of the next succeeding
             111      physician assistant examination, if the applicant does not take that examination, or 10 days
             112      after the date examination results of the next succeeding physician assistant examination are
             113      available to those taking the examination.] for a period not to exceed 120 days to allow the
             114      applicant to pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination.
             115          (ii) The temporary license may not be renewed or extended.
             116          (c) A physician assistant holding a temporary license may work only under the direct
             117      supervision of an approved supervising or substitute supervising physician in accordance with
             118      a delegation of services agreement, and all patient charts shall be reviewed and countersigned
             119      by the supervising or substitute supervising physician.
             120          Section 5. Section 58-70a-503 is amended to read:

             121           58-70a-503. Unprofessional conduct.
             122          "Unprofessional conduct" includes:
             123          (1) violation of a patient confidence to any person who does not have a legal right and
             124      a professional need to know the information concerning the patient;
             125          (2) knowingly prescribing, selling, giving away, or directly or indirectly administering,
             126      or offering to prescribe, sell, furnish, give away, or administer any prescription drug except for
             127      a legitimate medical purpose upon a proper diagnosis indicating use of that drug in the amounts
             128      prescribed or provided;
             129          (3) prescribing prescription drugs for himself or administering prescription drugs to
             130      himself, except those that have been legally prescribed for him by a licensed practitioner and
             131      that are used in accordance with the prescription order for the condition diagnosed;
             132          (4) failure to maintain at the practice site a delegation of services agreement that
             133      accurately reflects current practices; [and]
             134          (5) failure to make the delegation of services agreement available to the division for
             135      review upon request[.]; and
             136          (6) in a practice that has physician assistant ownership interests, failure to allow the
             137      supervising physician the independent final decision making authority on patient treatment
             138      decisions, as set forth in the delegation of services agreement or as defined by rule.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-2-10 2:29 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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