HBA-TBM S.B. 1264 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1264
By: Haywood
Public Health
5/1/2001
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law implies, but does not explicitly stipulate that a physician
assistant is the medical agent of a supervising physician.  This current
ambiguity creates administrative barriers by causing ill or injured
patients who have been evaluated by a physician assistant to wait for a
physician to sign the relevant medical documents.  Senate Bill 1264
specifies that physician assistants are the medical agents of a supervising
physician, thus allowing them to perform the administrative work necessary
to complete an evaluation of a patient.  

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

Senate Bill 1264 amends the Occupations Code to provide that a physician
assistant is the agent of a supervising physician for any medical service
delegated by that physician that is within the physician assistant's
established scope of practice, and that is delineated by protocols,
practice guidelines, or practice directives established by the supervising
physician.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.