HB 859

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to physician assistants; amending ss.
3	458.331 and 459.015, F.S.; placing a physician assistant
4	on probable cause panels of the Board of Medicine and the
5	Board of Osteopathic Medicine considering discipline of
6	physician assistants; amending ss. 458.347 and 459.022,
7	F.S.; authorizing the preparation of certain medical
8	charts and records without the cosignature of a licensed
9	physician; providing an effective date.
10
11	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13	Section 1.  Subsection (2) of section 458.331, Florida
14	Statutes, is amended to read:
15	458.331  Grounds for disciplinary action; action by the
16	board and department.--
17	(2)  The board may enter an order denying licensure or
18	imposing any of the penalties in s. 456.072(2) against any
19	applicant for licensure or licensee who is found guilty of
20	violating any provision of subsection (1) of this section or who
21	is found guilty of violating any provision of s. 456.072(1). A
22	probable cause panel considering disciplinary action against a
23	physician assistant under s. 456.073 must include a licensed
24	physician assistant designated by the Council on Physician
25	Assistants unless a physician assistant is not available. In
26	determining what action is appropriate, the board must first
27	consider what sanctions are necessary to protect the public or
28	to compensate the patient. Only after those sanctions have been
29	imposed may the disciplining authority consider and include in
30	the order requirements designed to rehabilitate the physician.
31	All costs associated with compliance with orders issued under
32	this subsection are the obligation of the physician.
33	Section 2.  Paragraph (g) is added to subsection (4) of
34	section 458.347, Florida Statutes, to read:
35	458.347  Physician assistants.--
36	(4)  PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.--
37	(g)  The medical charts and records prepared by a physician
38	assistant who is under the supervision of a licensed physician
39	on the business premises do not require cosignature by the
40	licensed physician.
41	Section 3.  Subsection (2) of section 459.015, Florida
42	Statutes, is amended to read:
43	459.015  Grounds for disciplinary action; action by the
44	board and department.--
45	(2)  The board may enter an order denying licensure or
46	imposing any of the penalties in s. 456.072(2) against any
47	applicant for licensure or licensee who is found guilty of
48	violating any provision of subsection (1) of this section or who
49	is found guilty of violating any provision of s. 456.072(1). A
50	probable cause panel considering disciplinary action against a
51	physician assistant under s. 456.073 must include a licensed
52	physician assistant designated by the Council on Physician
53	Assistants unless a physician assistant is not available. In
54	determining what action is appropriate, the board must first
55	consider what sanctions are necessary to protect the public or
56	to compensate the patient. Only after those sanctions have been
57	imposed may the disciplining authority consider and include in
58	the order requirements designed to rehabilitate the physician.
59	All costs associated with compliance with orders issued under
60	this subsection are the obligation of the physician.
61	Section 4.  Paragraph (f) is added to subsection (4) of
62	section 459.022, Florida Statutes, to read:
63	459.022  Physician assistants.--
64	(4)  PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.--
65	(f)  The medical charts and records prepared by a physician
66	assistant who is under the supervision of a licensed physician
67	on the business premises do not require cosignature by the
68	licensed physician.
69	Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.