BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1069
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Date of Hearing: August 4, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 1069 (Pavley) - As Amended: May 5, 2010
Policy Committee: Business &
Professions Vote: 11-0
Judiciary 10-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill clarifies several functions of physician assistants
(PAs). Specifically, this bill:
1)Authorizes PAs, acting as the agent of a supervising
physician, to order durable medical equipment, certify
disability for purposes of unemployment insurance eligibility,
approve, sign, modify or add to a treatment plan for home
health or personal care services, and conduct specified
physical examinations and sign corresponding certificates or
forms.
2)Establishes a statute of limitation for accusations lodged
against PAs that is consistent with limitations for other
health professionals.
FISCAL EFFECT
No direct fiscal impact for the Physician Assistant Committee
within the Department of Consumer Affairs.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . This bill is sponsored by the California Academy of
Physician Assistants to clarify several inconsistencies and
omissions in current law and to expand the types of medical
exams these professionals are authorized to conduct.
2)Background . Physician assistants are trained to provide
diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services
under the supervision of a licensed physician. Statewide,
there are about 7,000 licensed PAs. Most PAs practice in
SB 1069
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primary care areas, such as internal medicine, pediatrics, and
family medicine. Other PAs practice in specialty areas such
as general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine,
orthopedics, and geriatrics.
Under current law, PAs are authorized to perform and certify
medical examinations related to obtaining disability placards,
commercial vehicle licenses, and employment. This bill
increases consistency by allowing PAs to perform other,
similar examinations and certifications.
Analysis Prepared by : Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081