PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

(Washington Medical Commission)

[Filed November 19, 2020, 2:34 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 246-918 WAC, Physician assistants—Washington medical commission (commission), revising physician assistant (PA) rules pursuant to SHB 2378 (chapter 80, Laws of 2020) and updating PA rules to incorporate current, national standards and best practices.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.71A.150, 18.130.050; chapter 18.71A RCW; and SHB 2378.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The commission is considering updating the PA chapter to more closely align with current industry standards, modernize regulations to align with current national industry standards and best practices, and provide clearer rules language for licensed PAs.

Included in this rule-making proposal is incorporating the requirements of SHB 2378 Concerning physician assistants. The commission is considering adding new sections in accordance with SHB 2378. This bill combines the PA licensing under the Washington medical commission effective July 1, 2021, and eliminates the profession of osteopathic physician assistant. The bill instructs the commission to consult with the board of osteopathic medicine and surgery when investigating allegations of unprofessional conduct by a licensee under the supervision of an osteopathic physician. The bill also reduces administrative and regulatory burdens on PA practice by moving practice agreements from an agency-level approval process to employment level process. Employers are required to keep agreements on file. The bill requires the commission to collect and file the agreements. Changes nomenclature from "delegation" to "practice" agreement and from "supervising physician" to "participating physician" agreement.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Amelia Boyd, Program Manager, P.O. Box 47866, Olympia, WA 98504-7866, phone 360-236-2727, TTY 711, email amelia.boyd@wmc.wa.gov, website wmc.wa.gov.

Additional comments: To join the interested parties email list, please visit https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/new?topic_id=WADOH_153.