Bill > SB326

This bill, the Physician Assistant Parity Act of 2026, aims to grant Physician Assistants (PAs) the same rights and responsibilities as other healthcare practitioners in various legal and medical contexts. Specifically, it allows PAs to order the admission of pregnant incarcerated individuals to an infirmary, to provide certificates of competency for guardianship of disabled persons, and to certify a patient's incapacity to make informed treatment decisions. The bill also expands the types of healthcare professionals who can certify individuals for voluntary or involuntary admission to mental health facilities, now including PAs alongside physicians and other specialists. Furthermore, it ensures that PAs are recognized as "health care practitioners" in certain definitions, allowing them to participate in programs like the Emergency and Allergy Treatment Program and to prescribe and dispense emergency epinephrine. The bill also mandates that the Maryland Health Care Commission review data on emergency department lengths of stay for individuals undergoing involuntary admission processes, particularly in facilities staffed with PAs but lacking sufficient clinicians authorized to certify such admissions, and report its findings to legislative committees. Finally, it clarifies that PAs are among the healthcare providers whose certificates are accepted for sick leave documentation for state employees.