HBA-NRS H.B. 2209 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2209
By: Farabee
Public Health
3/8/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, physician assistants working under the supervision of a
physician are limited to administering, providing, or carrying out a
medical order from a licensed physician in the physician's primary practice
site. This has limited the ability of supervising physicians and physician
assistants to provide health care services to patients. House Bill 2209
expands the caregiving ability of physicians to allow physicians to
delegate certain duties to physician assistants or advanced practice nurses
at a qualified alternate practice site that is separate from the
physician's primary practice site.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2209 amends the Occupations Code to authorize a physician
licensed by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners (board) to delegate
to a physician assistant or an advanced practice nurse acting under
adequate physician supervision the act of administering, providing, or
carrying out or signing a prescription drug order as authorized through a
physician's order, a standing medical order, a standing delegation order,
or another order or protocol  as defined by the board at a qualified
alternate practice site. The bill prohibits a physician from establishing
more than one qualified alternate practice site by filing with the board an
application prescribed by the board and provides that the site be located
within 60 miles of the physician's primary practice. The bill sets forth
standards for maintaining an alternate practice site's qualification.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.