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Bill Summary · HB 672

Summary — HB 672 (Physician Assistants Omnibus / Team‑based Practice & related provisions)

Note: Multiple jurisdictions used the bill number “HB 672” for different measures. The material you provided includes two principal, separate bills: (1) a North Carolina bill titled “Physician Assist. Omnibus / Team‑based / Compact” (primary focus below), and (2) a Maryland enacted bill (Chapter 345) establishing a School Health and Wellness Personnel Assessment and adding a school nurse to a state council. This summary focuses on the North Carolina physician‑assistant provisions, with a short note on the Maryland measure at the end.

Purpose and intent

The North Carolina HB 672 seeks to modernize physician assistant (PA) supervision and practice rules by establishing a formal “team‑based” practice pathway that permits experienced PAs to operate under different supervision and reporting requirements when working in defined team settings. The bill also makes related adjustments to licensure notifications, credential display, prescribing rules, and volunteer license procedures.

Key provisions (North Carolina)

  • Defines “team‑based setting/practice” to include:
    • Physician‑owned/group medical practices where physicians have “consistent and meaningful participation” in service design;
    • Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other facilities with credentialing/quality programs and active physician participation;
    • Explicit exclusion: medical practices specializing in pain management are excluded.
  • Creates a team‑based practitioner pathway (G.S. 90‑9.3A):
    • Eligibility: PAs must have >4,000 hours of clinical practice as a licensed PA and >1,000 hours within the specialty with a physician in that specialty.
    • Team‑based PAs must collaborate/consult/ refer as clinically indicated; the Board may adopt rules to define collaboration standards.
    • Exception: team‑based PAs practicing in perioperative/surgical/anesthesia settings still require physician supervision.
  • Licensure notification changes:
    • New PAs must provide the Medical Board with supervising physician contact info before practicing — except for those qualifying under the team‑based pathway.
    • Similar adjustments for limited/volunteer PA licenses.
  • Other changes:
    • PAs must clearly display/designate their PA credentials in clinical settings.
    • Prescribing rules: written supervisory policies remain required; some prescribing restrictions/consultation requirements (e.g., for targeted controlled substances) are retained but may not apply to team‑based PAs in the same way.
    • Board given rulemaking authority to implement details.

Who is affected

  • Physician assistants (especially experienced PAs seeking expanded autonomy)
  • Supervising physicians and physician practice groups
  • Hospitals, clinics, and credentialing/privileging systems
  • North Carolina Medical Board (rulemaking, oversight)
  • Patients (through changes to care delivery and supervision models)

Potential impacts

  • May expand PA practice autonomy and workforce flexibility in defined settings, particularly for highly experienced PAs.
  • Shifts some supervisory responsibility to institutional credentialing and team collaboration standards rather than an individual supervising physician relationship.
  • Could affect prescribing workflows, credentialing/privileging processes, and liability/insurance considerations for practices and facilities.

Procedural / timeline (North Carolina)

  • Introduced and referred to the Health committee (listed April 3, 2025 in your materials). Status updates show committee referrals; check official NC legislative records for current status and any enacted changes.

Brief note — Maryland HB 672 (Chapter 345, 2025)

A separate Maryland enactment (also titled HB 672) requires the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the State Department of Education (MSDE) to jointly conduct an annual assessment of the “school health and wellness personnel” workforce (counselors; dental hygienists; OTs/assistants; PTs; school nurses; psychologists; social workers; speech‑language pathologists, etc.), beginning with a report due December 1, 2027 and annually thereafter. It also adds a school nurse (nominated by the Maryland Association of School Health Nurses) to the Maryland Council on Advancement of School‑Based Health Centers. MDH estimated a one‑time fiscal impact of about $61,700 (FY 2027) for a part‑time analyst to support the work.

If you want, I can produce a standalone, expanded summary focused only on the NC physician assistant bill (with section citations and likely implementation issues), or a full summary of the Maryland enactment. Which would you prefer?

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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