SRC-TBR S.B. 1265 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1265
77R8109 GJH-DBy: Haywood
Health & Human Services
3/30/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, physician assistants working under the supervision of a
physician are limited to administering, providing, or carrying our a
medical order from a licensed physician's primary practice site.  As
proposed, S.B. 1265 expands the caregiving ability of physicians to allow
physicians to delegate certain duties to physician assistants at a
qualified alternate practice site that is separate from the physician's
primary practice site. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 157.053, Occupations Code, by amending
Subsections (a), (b), and (e) and adding Subsections (g) and (h), as
follows: 

 (a)  Defines "alternate practice site" and "primary practice site.":

(b)  Provides that at a physician's primary practice site or a qualified
alternate practice site, a physician licensed by the board may 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. 

(e)  Provides that a physician's authority to delegate the carrying out or
signing of a prescription drug order at the physician's primary practice
site under this section is limited to three physician assistants or
advanced practice nurses or their full-time equivalents practicing at the
physician's primary practice site or qualified alternate practice site. 

(g)  Prohibits a physician from establishing not more than one qualified
alternate practice site by filing with the Texas State Board of Medical
Examiners (board) an application prescribed by the board. 

(h)  Requires a delegating  physician, to maintain an alternate practice
site's qualification, to meet certain requirements. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.