Florida Senate - 2020                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 744
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/04/2020           .                                
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       The Committee on Health Policy (Hooper) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Substitute for Amendment (970100) (with title
    2  amendment)
    3  
    4         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    5  and insert:
    6         Section 1. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (4) of
    7  section 458.347, Florida Statutes, to read:
    8         458.347 Physician assistants.—
    9         (4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—
   10         (i)A supervising physician may authorize a licensed
   11  physician assistant to perform services under the direction of a
   12  podiatric physician licensed under chapter 461 who is a partner,
   13  a shareholder, or an employee of the same group practice, as
   14  defined in s. 456.053(3), as the supervising physician and the
   15  physician assistant. The supervising physician is liable for the
   16  performance and the acts and omissions of such physician
   17  assistant.
   18         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 458.3485, Florida
   19  Statutes, is amended to read:
   20         458.3485 Medical assistant.—
   21         (1) DEFINITIONS DEFINITION.—As used in this section:,
   22         (a) “Medical assistant” means a professional multiskilled
   23  person dedicated to assisting in all aspects of medical practice
   24  under the direct supervision and responsibility of a physician.
   25  This practitioner assists with patient care management, executes
   26  administrative and clinical procedures, and often performs
   27  managerial and supervisory functions. Competence in the field
   28  also requires that a medical assistant adhere to ethical and
   29  legal standards of professional practice, recognize and respond
   30  to emergencies, and demonstrate professional characteristics.
   31         (b)“Physician” means a person who is licensed as a
   32  physician under this chapter or as a podiatric physician under
   33  chapter 461.
   34         Section 3. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (4) of
   35  section 459.022, Florida Statutes, to read:
   36         459.022 Physician assistants.—
   37         (4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—
   38         (h)A supervising physician may authorize a licensed
   39  physician assistant to perform services under the direction of a
   40  podiatric physician licensed under chapter 461 who is a partner,
   41  a shareholder, or an employee of the same group practice, as
   42  defined in s. 456.053(3), as the supervising physician and the
   43  physician assistant. The supervising physician is liable for the
   44  performance and the acts and omissions of such physician
   45  assistant.
   46         Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 461.007, Florida
   47  Statutes, is amended to read:
   48         461.007 Renewal of license.—
   49         (3) The board may by rule prescribe continuing education,
   50  not to exceed 40 hours biennially, as a condition for renewal of
   51  a license, including at least 2 hours of continuing education
   52  related to the safe and effective prescribing of controlled
   53  substances. The criteria for such programs or courses shall be
   54  approved by the board.
   55         Section 5. Section 461.0145, Florida Statutes, is created
   56  to read:
   57         461.0145Physician assistants.—A licensed physician
   58  assistant may perform services under the direction of a licensed
   59  podiatric physician in accordance with ss. 458.347(4) and
   60  459.022(4).
   61         Section 6. Section 461.0155, Florida Statutes, is created
   62  to read:
   63         461.0155Medical assistants.—A podiatric physician who is
   64  supervising a medical assistant is governed by s. 458.3485.
   65         Section 7. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
   66  624.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   67         624.27 Direct health care agreements; exemption from code.—
   68         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   69         (b) “Health care provider” means a health care provider
   70  licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter
   71  461, chapter 464, or chapter 466, or a health care group
   72  practice, who provides health care services to patients.
   73         Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.
   74  
   75  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   76  And the title is amended as follows:
   77         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   78  and insert:
   79                        A bill to be entitled                      
   80         An act relating to podiatric medicine; amending ss.
   81         458.347 and 459.022, F.S.; providing that a
   82         supervising physician may authorize a licensed
   83         physician assistant to perform services under the
   84         direction of a licensed podiatric physician under
   85         certain circumstances; specifying that the supervising
   86         physician is liable for the performance and the acts
   87         and omissions of such physician assistant; amending s.
   88         458.3485, F.S.; defining the term “physician” to
   89         include podiatric physicians; amending s. 461.007,
   90         F.S.; authorizing the Board of Podiatric Medicine to
   91         require a specified number of continuing education
   92         hours related to the safe and effective prescribing of
   93         controlled substances as a condition for licensure
   94         renewal; creating s. 461.0145, F.S.; authorizing a
   95         licensed physician assistant to perform services under
   96         the direction of a licensed podiatric physician under
   97         certain circumstances; creating s. 461.0155, F.S.;
   98         providing for governance of podiatric physicians who
   99         are supervising medical assistants; amending s.
  100         624.27, F.S.; revising the definition of the term
  101         “health care provider” to include podiatric
  102         physicians; providing an effective date.