SB294 - Revises provisions relating to physician assistants. (BDR 54-965)

(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 21, 2025) FIRST REPRINT S.B. 294 - *SB294_R1* SENATE BILL NO. 294–SENATOR FLORES MARCH 6, 2025 ____________ JOINT SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMEMBER D’SILVA ____________ Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to physician assistants. (BDR 54-965) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No. Effect on the State: Yes. ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to physician assistants; requiring the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine to authorize a supervising physician or osteopathic physician to simultaneously supervise not less than six physician assistants; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law: (1) provides for the licensure and regulation of physician 1 assistants by the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic 2 Medicine; and (2) requires a physician assistant to work under the supervision of a 3 physician or osteopathic physician. (NRS 630.271, 630.275, 633.432-633.469) 4 Existing regulations, with certain exceptions, prohibit a supervising physician or 5 osteopathic physician from simultaneously supervising more than three physician 6 assistants. (NAC 630.495, 633.288) Sections 1 and 2 of this bill require the Board 7 of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine to adopt 8 regulations which authorize a supervising physician or osteopathic physician to 9 simultaneously supervise not less than six physician assistants. 10 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 630.275 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1 630.275 The Board shall adopt regulations regarding the 2 licensure of a physician assistant, including, but not limited to: 3 – 2 – - *SB294_R1* 1. The educational and other qualifications of applicants. 1 2. The required academic program for applicants. 2 3. The procedures for applications for and the issuance of 3 licenses. 4 4. The procedures deemed necessary by the Board for 5 applications for and the initial issuance of licenses by endorsement 6 pursuant to NRS 630.2751 or 630.2752. 7 5. The tests or examinations of applicants required by the 8 Board. 9 6. The medical services which a physician assistant may 10 perform, except that a physician assistant may not perform those 11 specific functions and duties delegated or restricted by law to 12 persons licensed as dentists, chiropractic physicians, naprapaths, 13 podiatric physicians and optometrists under chapters 631, 634, 14 634B, 635 and 636, respectively, of NRS, or as hearing aid 15 specialists. 16 7. The duration, renewal and termination of licenses, including 17 licenses by endorsement. The Board shall not require a physician 18 assistant to receive or maintain certification by the National 19 Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, or its 20 successor organization, or by any other nationally recognized 21 organization for the accreditation of physician assistants to satisfy 22 any continuing education requirements for the renewal of licenses. 23 8. The grounds and procedures respecting disciplinary actions 24 against physician assistants. 25 9. The supervision of medical services of a physician assistant 26 by a supervising physician [.] , which must authorize a supervising 27 physician to simultaneously supervise not less than six physician 28 assistants. 29 10. A physician assistant’s use of equipment that transfers 30 information concerning the medical condition of a patient in this 31 State electronically, telephonically or by fiber optics, including, 32 without limitation, through telehealth, from within or outside this 33 State or the United States. 34 Sec. 2. NRS 633.434 is hereby amended to read as follows: 35 633.434 The Board shall adopt regulations regarding the 36 licensure of a physician assistant, including, without limitation: 37 1. The educational and other qualifications of applicants. 38 2. The required academic program for applicants. 39 3. The procedures for applications for and the issuance of 40 licenses. 41 4. The procedures deemed necessary by the Board for 42 applications for and the issuance of initial licenses by endorsement 43 pursuant to NRS 633.4335 and 633.4336. 44 5. The tests or examinations of applicants by the Board. 45 – 3 – - *SB294_R1* 6. The medical services which a physician assistant may 1 perform, except that a physician assistant may not perform 2 osteopathic manipulative therapy or those specific functions and 3 duties delegated or restricted by law to persons licensed as dentists, 4 chiropractic physicians, doctors of Oriental medicine, naprapaths, 5 podiatric physicians, optometrists and hearing aid specialists under 6 chapters 631, 634, 634A, 634B, 635, 636 and 637B, respectively, of 7 NRS. 8 7. The grounds and procedures respecting disciplinary actions 9 against physician assistants. 10 8. The supervision of medical services of a physician assistant 11 by a supervising osteopathic physician [.] , which must authorize a 12 supervising osteopathic physician to simultaneously supervise not 13 less than six physician assistants. 14 Sec. 3. This act becomes effective: 15 1. Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any 16 regulations and performing any other preparatory administrative 17 tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 18 2. On January 1, 2026, for all other purposes. 19 H