Bill > HB1731

This bill establishes the Physician Assistant (PA) Licensure Compact, which creates a comprehensive interstate system for PA licensing and practice. The compact aims to improve access to medical services by allowing PAs to more easily practice across participating states while maintaining patient safety. Key provisions include creating a national administrative body (the PA Licensure Compact Commission) to oversee the compact, establishing a data system to track PA licenses and disciplinary actions, and creating a "Compact Privilege" that allows PAs licensed in one participating state to practice in other participating states without obtaining additional individual state licenses. To qualify for the Compact Privilege, PAs must meet specific requirements, including graduating from an accredited PA program, holding current national certification, having no felony convictions, and maintaining an unrestricted license. The compact provides mechanisms for investigating and taking adverse actions against PAs, ensures information sharing between states, and offers protections for military families by facilitating license portability. The bill also specifies rules for how states can join or withdraw from the compact, and establishes governance structures, including an Executive Committee to manage the commission's operations. The compact will go into effect once seven states have enacted it, with the goal of streamlining PA licensing across multiple states while maintaining high professional standards.