Bill > AB438

Introduced Session

This bill adopts the term Xphysician associateY for Xphysician assistantY in the statutes, changes the title of the credentialing board that licenses physician associates to XPhysician Associate Affiliated Credentialing Board,Y allows physician associates to assume the title Xphysician associateY in addition to other titles allowed under current law, and allows a physician associate to practice independently from physicians if the physician associate satisfies certain criteria. Under current law, a physician assistant who provides care to patients may provide the services of a physician assistant only if there is a physician who is primarily responsible for the overall direction and management of the physician assistant[s professional activities and for assuring that the services provided by the physician assistant are medically appropriate or if the physician assistant has entered into a written collaborative agreement with a physician that describes the physician assistant[s individual scope of practice and includes a protocol for identifying an alternative collaborating physician for situations in which the collaborating physician or the physician[s designee is not available for consultation. To qualify to practice independently under the bill, a physician associate must satisfy certain criteria, including that the physician associate has completed 7,680 hours of clinical practice as a physician associate while practicing with a physician who is primarily responsible for the overall direction and management of the physician associate[s professional activities and for assuring that the services provided by the physician associate are medically appropriate or while practicing under a written collaborative agreement that satisfies the requirements under current law. In order to qualify to practice independently, the physician associate must maintain certain evidence that, during the 7,680 hours of clinical practice, the physician associate maintained a mutual, professional relationship with at least one physician; maintained documentation indicating the relationships the physician associate had with one or more physicians to deal with issues outside of the physician associate[s knowledge, training, or experience; and maintained evidence that he or she was subject to a quality assurance program, peer review process, or other similar program or process that was implemented for and designed to ensure the provision of competent and quality patient care and that also included participation by a physician. The 7,680 hours of clinical practice may include the lawful practice of the physician associate outside this state or the lawful practice of the physician associate in this state prior to the effective date of this bill, the lawful practice of the physician associate as an employee of the federal government as a civilian or as a member of a uniformed service while performing duties incident to that employment or service, including hours of independent practice outside of a supervisory or collaborative relationship with a physician, and any clinical hours completed pursuant to an educational program that qualifies an individual for licensure as a physician assistant under current law. The bill provides that, regardless of whether a physician associate has qualified to practice independently, a physician associate may provide treatment of pain syndromes through the use of invasive techniques only while practicing with a physician who, through training, education, and experience, specializes in pain management and who either is primarily responsible for the overall direction and management of the physician associate[s professional activities and for assuring that the services provided by the physician associate are medically appropriate or is under a written collaborative agreement with the physician associate. However, the bill provides that a physician associate may provide treatment of pain syndromes through the use of invasive techniques if the physician associate has qualified to practice independently under the bill and provides treatment of pain syndromes through the use of invasive techniques in a hospital or a clinic associated with a hospital. Further, the bill provides that a physician associate may provide treatment of pain syndromes through the use of invasive techniques if the physician associate has qualified to practice independently under the bill and has privileges in a hospital to provide treatment of pain syndromes through the use of invasive techniques without a collaborative relationship with a physician. Finally, the bill adds physician associates who have qualified to practice independently as mandatory participants in the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund. The Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund provides excess medical malpractice coverage for health care providers who participate in the fund and meet all other participation requirements, which includes maintaining malpractice liability insurance in coverage amounts specified under current law. Under current law, no physician assistant may practice as a physician assistant unless they maintain such medical liability insurance. For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Robert Donovan (R)*,  Benjamin Franklin (R)*,  Joy Goeben (R)*,  Chanz Green (R)*,  Rick Gundrum (R)*,  Dan Knodl (R)*,  Dave Maxey (R)*,  David Steffen (R)*,  Paul Tittl (R)*,  Nancy VanderMeer (R)*,  Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R),  Patrick Testin (R), 

Assembly Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Public Hearing (12:15:00 2/11/2026 417 North (GAR Hall)) (on 02/11/2026)

Official Document