Minnesota Session Laws - 2000, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 298-S.F.No. 2365 
                  An act relating to physician assistants; modifying the 
                  supervisory requirement for physician assistants 
                  responding to disaster situations; clarifying coverage 
                  under medical assistance for physician services 
                  performed by a physician assistant; modifying the 
                  physician assistant advisory council; amending 
                  Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 147A.27, subdivision 
                  1; and 256B.0625, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota 
                  Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 147A.23. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
        147A.23, is amended to read: 
           147A.23 [RESPONDING TO DISASTER SITUATIONS.] 
           (a) A registered physician assistant or a physician 
        assistant duly licensed or credentialed in a United States 
        jurisdiction who is responding to a need for medical care 
        created by a state or local disaster may render such care as the 
        physician assistant is able to provide, under the physician 
        assistant's license, registration, or credential, without the 
        need of a physician and physician assistant agreement as 
        required under section 147A.20.  Physician supervision, as 
        required under section 147A.09, must be provided under the 
        direction of an emergency medical director in accordance with 
        rules adopted by the emergency medical services regulatory board 
        under section 144E.16 a physician licensed under chapter 147 who 
        is involved with the disaster response.  The physician assistant 
        must establish a temporary supervisory agreement with an 
        emergency medical director the physician providing supervision 
        before rendering care. 
           (b) The physician who provides supervision to a physician 
        assistant while the physician assistant is rendering care in a 
        disaster in accordance with this section may do so without 
        meeting the requirements of section 147A.20. 
           (c) The supervising physician who otherwise provides 
        supervision to a physician assistant under a physician and 
        physician assistant agreement described in section 147A.20 shall 
        not be held medically responsible for the care rendered by a 
        physician assistant pursuant to paragraph (a).  Services 
        provided by a physician assistant under paragraph (a) shall be 
        considered outside the scope of the relationship between the 
        supervising physician and the physician assistant. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 147A.27, 
        subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  [MEMBERSHIP.] (a) The physician assistant 
        advisory council is created and is composed of seven persons 
        appointed by the board.  The seven persons must include: 
           (1) two public members, as defined in section 214.02; 
           (2) three physician assistants registered under this 
        chapter; and 
           (3) two licensed physicians with experience supervising 
        physician assistants. 
           (b) No member shall serve more than a total of two terms.  
        If a member is appointed for a partial term and serves more than 
        half of that term it shall be considered a full term.  Members 
        serving on the council as of July 1, 2000, shall be allowed to 
        complete their current terms.  
           Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256B.0625, is 
        amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
           Subd. 28a.  [REGISTERED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT 
        SERVICES.] Medical assistance covers services performed by a 
        registered physician assistant if the service is otherwise 
        covered under this chapter as a physician service and if the 
        service is within the scope of practice of a registered 
        physician assistant as defined in section 147A.09. 
           Presented to the governor March 24, 2000 
           Signed by the governor March 28, 2000, 2:40 p.m.