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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the regulation of physician assistants and |
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anesthesiologist assistants. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 204.060 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.060. ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANT ADVISORY |
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COMMITTEE. (a) The anesthesiologist assistant advisory committee |
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consists of seven members appointed by the presiding officer of the |
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physician assistant board. |
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(b) The committee consists of: |
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(1) four anesthesiologist assistants; and |
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(2) three physician anesthesiologists. |
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(c) The committee members serve: |
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(1) at the will of the presiding officer of the |
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physician assistant board; and |
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(2) without compensation or reimbursement for |
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expenses incurred in the performance of duties as a committee |
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member. |
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(d) The committee shall: |
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(1) meet at the call of the presiding officer of the |
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physician assistant board; and |
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(2) provide recommendations to the physician |
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assistant board on matters related to the regulation of |
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anesthesiologist assistants as requested by the presiding officer |
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of the physician assistant board. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 204.102, Occupations |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.102. POWERS AND DUTIES OF MEDICAL BOARD RELATING |
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TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANTS. |
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SECTION 3. Section 204.102(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The medical board shall adopt rules consistent with this |
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chapter to regulate: |
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(1) physician assistants; |
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(2) [and] physicians who supervise physician |
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assistants; |
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(3) anesthesiologist assistants; and |
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(4) physician anesthesiologists who supervise |
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anesthesiologist assistants. |
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SECTION 4. Section 204.151, Occupations Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.151. LICENSE REQUIRED; EXCEPTION. (a) A person |
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may not practice as a physician assistant in this state unless the |
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person holds a physician assistant license issued under this |
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chapter. |
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(b) An anesthesiologist assistant is not required to obtain |
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a license under this chapter and may practice as an |
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anesthesiologist assistant under the delegated authority of a |
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licensed physician. |
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SECTION 5. Section 204.152(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The physician assistant board shall issue a physician |
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assistant or anesthesiologist assistant license to an applicant |
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who: |
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(1) meets the eligibility requirements of Section |
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204.153 or 204.1535, as applicable; |
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(2) submits an application on a form prescribed by the |
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board; |
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(3) pays the required application fee; |
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(4) certifies that the applicant is mentally and |
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physically able to function safely as a physician assistant; and |
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(5) submits to the board any other information the |
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board considers necessary to evaluate the applicant's |
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qualifications. |
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SECTION 6. The heading to Section 204.153, Occupations |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.153. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PHYSICIAN |
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ASSISTANT LICENSE. |
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SECTION 7. Section 204.153(a), Occupations Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible for a physician assistant license under |
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this chapter, an applicant must: |
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(1) successfully complete an educational program for |
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physician assistants or surgeon assistants accredited by the |
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Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician |
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Assistant [Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation] |
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or by that commission's [committee's] predecessor or successor |
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entities; |
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(2) pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying |
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Examination administered by the National Commission on |
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Certification of Physician Assistants or the commission's |
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successor entity; |
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(3) hold a certificate issued by the National |
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Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or the |
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commission's successor entity; |
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(4) be of good moral character; |
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(5) meet any other requirement established by |
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physician assistant board rule; and |
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(6) pass a jurisprudence examination approved by the |
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physician assistant board as provided by Subsection (a-1). |
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SECTION 8. Subchapter D, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 204.1535 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.1535. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR |
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ANESTHESIOLOGIST ASSISTANT LICENSE. To be eligible for an |
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anesthesiologist assistant license under this chapter, an |
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applicant must: |
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(1) successfully complete an educational program for |
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anesthesiologist assistants accredited by the Commission on |
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Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or by that |
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commission's predecessor or successor entities; |
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(2) pass the Certifying Examination for |
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Anesthesiologist Assistants administered by the National |
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Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants or the |
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commission's successor entity; |
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(3) hold a certificate issued by the National |
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Commission for Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants or the |
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commission's successor entity; |
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(4) be of good moral character; |
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(5) meet any other requirement established by |
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physician assistant board rule; and |
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(6) pass a jurisprudence examination approved by the |
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physician assistant board that is comparable to the examination |
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under Section 204.153(a-1). |
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SECTION 9. Section 204.201, Occupations Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.201. NOTICE OF INTENT TO PRACTICE. (a) Before |
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beginning practice, each person [physician assistant] licensed |
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under this chapter shall submit on a form prescribed by the |
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physician assistant board notice of the license holder's intent to |
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practice. The notice must include: |
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(1) the name, business address, license number, and |
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telephone number of the license holder [physician assistant]; and |
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(2) the name, business address, Texas license number, |
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and telephone number of the license holder's [physician
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assistant's] supervising physician or supervising physician |
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anesthesiologist, as applicable. |
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(b) A license holder [physician assistant] shall notify the |
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physician assistant board of any change in, or addition to, the |
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person acting as a supervising physician or supervising physician |
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anesthesiologist, as applicable, [for the physician assistant] not |
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later than the 30th day after the date the change or addition |
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occurs. |
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SECTION 10. The heading to Section 204.202, Occupations |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.202. SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT. |
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SECTION 11. Subchapter E, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 204.2025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 204.2025. SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR ANESTHESIOLOGIST |
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ASSISTANT. (a) The practice of an anesthesiologist assistant |
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includes providing medical services delegated by a supervising |
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physician anesthesiologist that are within the education, |
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training, and experience of the anesthesiologist assistant. |
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(b) Medical services provided by an anesthesiologist |
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assistant may include: |
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(1) obtaining an appropriate and accurate |
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pre-anesthetic health history; |
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(2) performing an appropriate physical examination |
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and recording pertinent information in an organized and legible |
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manner; |
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(3) performing diagnostic laboratory and related |
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studies as appropriate, including drawing arterial and venous blood |
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samples; |
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(4) performing the insertion of invasive monitoring |
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modalities, including transesophageal echocardiography probes, |
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arterial lines, pulmonary artery catheters, and central venous |
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lines, as delegated by the supervising physician anesthesiologist; |
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(5) administering anesthetic agents and controlled |
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substances, including administering induction agents, maintaining |
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and altering anesthesia levels, administering adjunctive |
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treatments, and providing continuity of anesthetic care into and |
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during the post-operative recovery period; |
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(6) establishing airway interventions and performing |
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ventilation support; |
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(7) applying, performing, and interpreting advanced |
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monitoring techniques; |
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(8) using advanced life support techniques, including |
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high frequency ventilation and intra-arterial cardiovascular |
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assist devices; |
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(9) monitoring patients after the administration of |
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anesthesia by recording patient progress notes, compiling and |
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recording case summaries, and transcribing standing and specific |
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orders; |
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(10) evaluating and treating life-threatening |
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situations, including performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, on |
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the basis of established protocols, including basic life support, |
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advanced cardiac life support, and pediatric advanced life support |
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protocols; and |
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(11) performing duties in intensive care units, pain |
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clinics, and other settings, as delegated by the supervising |
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physician anesthesiologist. |
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SECTION 12. Section 204.204, Occupations Code, is amended |
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by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) An anesthesiologist assistant must be supervised by a |
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supervising physician anesthesiologist in the same manner that a |
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physician assistant is supervised by a supervising physician under |
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Subsections (a), (b), and (c), except that during the provision of |
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any anesthesia service by an anesthesiologist assistant, the |
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supervising physician anesthesiologist shall maintain a physical |
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proximity that enables the supervising physician anesthesiologist |
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to be immediately available if needed. |
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SECTION 13. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the presiding officer of the Texas Physician Assistant |
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Board shall appoint seven members to the anesthesiologist assistant |
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advisory committee in accordance with Section 204.060, Occupations |
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Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 14. (a) Sections 204.152 and 204.153, Occupations |
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Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 204.1535, Occupations |
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Code, as added by this Act, apply only to an application for a |
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license submitted to the Texas Physician Assistant Board on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. An application submitted |
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before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law |
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is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this |
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Act, the Texas Physician Assistant Board or Texas Medical Board, as |
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appropriate, shall adopt rules necessary to implement the changes |
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in law made by this Act to Chapter 204, Occupations Code. |
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SECTION 15. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |