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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the licensing and regulation of physician assistants. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 204.153(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible for a license under this chapter, an |
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applicant must: |
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(1) successfully complete an educational program for |
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physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, or surgeon |
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assistants accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on |
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Education for the Physician Assistant or the Commission on |
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Accreditation of [Committee on] Allied Health Education Programs |
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[and Accreditation] or by those commissions' [that committee's] |
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predecessor or successor entities; |
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(2) pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying |
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Exam [Examination] administered by the National Commission on |
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Certification of Physician Assistants or the Certifying |
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Examination for Anesthesiologist Assistants administered by the |
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National Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist |
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Assistants; |
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(3) hold a certificate issued by the National |
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Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or the National |
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Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants; |
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(4) be of good moral character; |
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(5) meet any other requirement established by |
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physician assistant board rule; and |
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(6) pass a jurisprudence examination approved by the |
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physician assistant board as provided by Subsection (a-1). |
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SECTION 2. Section 204.154, Occupations Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.154. EXEMPTIONS FROM LICENSING REQUIREMENT FOR |
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CERTAIN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS. A person is not required to hold a |
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license issued under this chapter to practice as: |
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(1) a physician assistant student enrolled in a |
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physician assistant, anesthesiologist assistant, or surgeon |
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assistant educational program accredited by the Accreditation |
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Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or the |
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Commission on Accreditation of [Committee on] Allied Health |
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Education Programs [and Accreditation of the
American Medical
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Association] or by successor entities as approved and designated by |
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physician assistant board rule; or |
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(2) a physician assistant employed in the service of |
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the federal government while performing duties related to that |
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employment. |
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SECTION 3. Section 204.155(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The physician assistant board may issue a temporary |
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license to an applicant who: |
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(1) meets all the qualifications for a license under |
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this chapter but is waiting for the license to be issued at the next |
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scheduled meeting of the board; |
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(2) seeks to temporarily substitute for a licensed |
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physician assistant during the license holder's absence, if the |
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applicant: |
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(A) is licensed or registered in good standing in |
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another state; |
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(B) submits an application on a form prescribed |
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by the board; and |
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(C) pays the appropriate fee prescribed by the |
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board; or |
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(3) has graduated from an educational program for |
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physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, or surgeon |
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assistants described by Section 204.153(a)(1) not later than six |
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months before applying for a temporary license and is waiting for |
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examination results from the National Commission on Certification |
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of Physician Assistants or the National Commission for |
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Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants. |
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SECTION 4. Section 204.204, Occupations Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an anesthesiologist |
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assistant must be supervised by a physician who is an |
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anethesiologist and maintains a physical proximity that enables the |
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supervising physician anesthesiologist to be immediately available |
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if needed. |
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SECTION 5. (a) Sections 204.153 and 204.155, Occupations |
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Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an application for a |
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license submitted to the Texas Physician Assistant Board on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. An application submitted |
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before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law |
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is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this |
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Act, the Texas Physician Assistant Board or Texas Medical Board, as |
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appropriate, shall adopt rules necessary to implement the changes |
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in law made by this Act to Chapter 204, Occupations Code. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |