Assigned to HHS FOR
COMMITTEE
Assigned to HHS FOR
COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Third Legislature, Second Regular Session
physician assistants board; continuation
Purpose
Continues the Board of Physician Assistants (Board) for eight years.
Background
A physician assistant (PA) is a person who is licensed and who practices medicine under the supervisions of a physician (A.R.S. § 32-2501). Services provided by PAs include taking medical histories, diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing and dispensing medication, assisting in surgery and counseling patients. PAs may only practice medicine within the scope of the supervising physician’s area of practice. However, within the physician-PA relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision-making and provide a range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.
The Board was established in 1990 and is comprised of the following Governor-appointed members: 1) five licensed PAs; 2) two public members; and 3) four physicians who are licensed as specified and who are actively engaged in the practice of medicine, two of whom supervise a PA at the time of appointment. The primary duty of the Board is to protect the public from unlawful, incompetent, unqualified, impaired or unprofessional PAs. To this end, the Board is required to license and regulate PAs and develop and recommend standards governing the profession, among other duties. (A.R.S. § 32-2502).
In Arizona, each new and existing agency has no more than a ten-year duration and is subject to a sunset review (A.R.S. § 41-2955). Currently, the Board is set to terminate on July 1, 2018. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee assigned the sunset review of the Board to the Senate Health and Human Services and House of Representatives Health Committee of Reference (COR) for review. The COR held a public hearing on November 27, 2017, to review the Board’s response to the sunset factors and recommended an eight-year continuation for the Board.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Continues the Board, retroactive to July 1, 2018, until July 1, 2026.
2. Repeals the Board on January 1, 2027.
3. Contains a purpose statement.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date, with a retroactive provision as noted.
House Action
HEALTH 1/11/18 DP 8-0-0-1
3rd Read 1/29/18 59-0-1
Prepared by Senate Research
February 23, 2018
CRS/NW/lat