Florida Senate - 2020 CS for SB 744
By the Committee on Health Policy; and Senators Hooper and
Gruters
588-03100-20 2020744c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to podiatric medicine; amending ss.
3 458.347 and 459.022, F.S.; providing that a
4 supervising physician may authorize a licensed
5 physician assistant to perform services under the
6 direction of a licensed podiatric physician under
7 certain circumstances; specifying that the supervising
8 physician is liable for the performance and the acts
9 and omissions of such physician assistant; amending s.
10 458.3485, F.S.; defining the term “physician” to
11 include podiatric physicians; amending s. 461.007,
12 F.S.; authorizing the Board of Podiatric Medicine to
13 require a specified number of continuing education
14 hours related to the safe and effective prescribing of
15 controlled substances as a condition for licensure
16 renewal; creating s. 461.0145, F.S.; authorizing a
17 licensed physician assistant to perform services under
18 the direction of a licensed podiatric physician under
19 certain circumstances; creating s. 461.0155, F.S.;
20 providing for governance of podiatric physicians who
21 are supervising medical assistants; amending s.
22 624.27, F.S.; revising the definition of the term
23 “health care provider” to include podiatric
24 physicians; providing an effective date.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (4) of
29 section 458.347, Florida Statutes, to read:
30 458.347 Physician assistants.—
31 (4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—
32 (i) A supervising physician may authorize a licensed
33 physician assistant to perform services under the direction of a
34 podiatric physician licensed under chapter 461 who is a partner,
35 a shareholder, or an employee of the same group practice, as
36 defined in s. 456.053(3), as the supervising physician and the
37 physician assistant. The supervising physician is liable for the
38 performance and the acts and omissions of such physician
39 assistant.
40 Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 458.3485, Florida
41 Statutes, is amended to read:
42 458.3485 Medical assistant.—
43 (1) DEFINITIONS DEFINITION.—As used in this section:,
44 (a) “Medical assistant” means a professional multiskilled
45 person dedicated to assisting in all aspects of medical practice
46 under the direct supervision and responsibility of a physician.
47 This practitioner assists with patient care management, executes
48 administrative and clinical procedures, and often performs
49 managerial and supervisory functions. Competence in the field
50 also requires that a medical assistant adhere to ethical and
51 legal standards of professional practice, recognize and respond
52 to emergencies, and demonstrate professional characteristics.
53 (b) “Physician” means a person who is licensed as a
54 physician under this chapter or as a podiatric physician under
55 chapter 461.
56 Section 3. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (4) of
57 section 459.022, Florida Statutes, to read:
58 459.022 Physician assistants.—
59 (4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—
60 (h) A supervising physician may authorize a licensed
61 physician assistant to perform services under the direction of a
62 podiatric physician licensed under chapter 461 who is a partner,
63 a shareholder, or an employee of the same group practice, as
64 defined in s. 456.053(3), as the supervising physician and the
65 physician assistant. The supervising physician is liable for the
66 performance and the acts and omissions of such physician
67 assistant.
68 Section 4. Subsection (3) of section 461.007, Florida
69 Statutes, is amended to read:
70 461.007 Renewal of license.—
71 (3) The board may by rule prescribe continuing education,
72 not to exceed 40 hours biennially, as a condition for renewal of
73 a license, including at least 2 hours of continuing education
74 related to the safe and effective prescribing of controlled
75 substances. The criteria for such programs or courses shall be
76 approved by the board.
77 Section 5. Section 461.0145, Florida Statutes, is created
78 to read:
79 461.0145 Physician assistants.—A licensed physician
80 assistant may perform services under the direction of a licensed
81 podiatric physician in accordance with ss. 458.347(4) and
82 459.022(4).
83 Section 6. Section 461.0155, Florida Statutes, is created
84 to read:
85 461.0155 Medical assistants.—A podiatric physician who is
86 supervising a medical assistant is governed by s. 458.3485.
87 Section 7. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
88 624.27, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
89 624.27 Direct health care agreements; exemption from code.—
90 (1) As used in this section, the term:
91 (b) “Health care provider” means a health care provider
92 licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter
93 461, chapter 464, or chapter 466, or a health care group
94 practice, who provides health care services to patients.
95 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.