Bill
HB 1143
Louisiana renames the profession to physician associate and creates an advisory committee, aligning licensure, supervision, and practice rules under updated governance.
HB 1143 (Louisiana, 2026) — Summary
Overview
- Subject: Physician assistants and related governance
- Purpose: Modernize and reorganize the regulation of physician assistants, changing terminology from “physician assistant” to “physician associate,” and outlining the structure, duties, licensure, supervision, and disciplinary framework. The bill emphasizes advisory structures and continuity of supervision while aligning with current practice realities.
- Substantive effect: While the digest notes no broad substantive changes to practice, it renames the profession in most references and updates regulatory provisions to reflect the new terminology and governance structure.
Key Provisions and Changes
1) Name change and terminology
- Replaces references to “physician assistant” with “physician associate” throughout the regulatory text (with explicit exception for references to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, i.e., PA-C terminology remains when describing certification entities).
2) Creation of the Physician Assistants Associates Advisory Committee
- Establishes within the Louisiana Department of Health a Physician Assistants Associates Advisory Committee (within the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners framework).
- Composition: Three physician associate members; at least one from a parish/municipality with population under 20,000.
- Appointment: Members appointed by the governor from a list submitted by the Louisiana Academy of Physician Assistants.
- Eligibility: Each member must hold a current Louisiana license as a physician associate and be actively practicing at the time of appointment.
- Purpose: Advise the Board on licensing, disciplining, regulations, and applications for licensure of physician associates; the Board must consult the Advisory Committee before acting on related matters.
3) Legislative intent and definitions
- Clear statement of intent to address health workforce shortages and to modernize laws governing physician associate practice.
- Definitions for key terms, including:
- Physician associate: licensed health professional practicing under physician supervision.
- Supervising physician: physician approved by the board to supervise one or more physician associates.
- Supervision: ongoing direction and control; can be via telecommunications; annual documentation and review; primarily responsibility lies with the supervising physician.
- Trainee, approved program, PA-C, and related terms.
4) Board powers, licensure, and supervision
- Board authority to approve or reject licensure applications; licensure valid for one year, renewable annually.
- Rules for revocation/suspension of licensure for physician associates and supervising physicians.
- Supervising physician capacities: a supervising physician may oversee up to eight physician associates, subject to practice setting (private practice, group, hospital, etc.) and appropriate supervision.
- Documentation: Requires written supervision agreements, annually updated, retained at the practice site, and provided to the Board upon request.
- Initial appearance: Physicians intending to supervise a physician associate must appear before the Board at first application/notification if discrepancies exist or prior discipline applies.
5) Licensure, inactive status, and renewal
- Licensure requirements include:
- Completion of an accredited physician associate educational program.
- Passing the national certifying examination.
- Demonstration of mental and physical fitness.
- No current discipline in other jurisdictions (with board discretion).
- Inactive license option: Licensees may place licensure on inactive status; renewal fees apply when restoring to active status.
- Working permit: Temporary one-year permit (renewable for one additional year) available to applicants not yet certified or awaiting exam results.
6) Practice scope, prescription authority, and MAT
- Scope: Physician associates practice under supervising physicians; may perform delegated tasks, including assisting in surgery and ordering/interpretation of diagnostics.
- Prescribing: May prescribe, order, and administer drugs as delegated by the supervising physician, including controlled substances if registered with the DEA.
- Prescriptive qualifications: At least 500 clinical training hours prior to graduation; boards may not add extra prescriptive qualifications beyond those stated.
- MAT: May provide medication-assisted treatment where allowed, with supervising physician authorization and adherence to federal/state rules.
7) Liability, discipline, and identification
- Liability for patient care remains with the supervising physician or supervising entity.
- Discipline allowed for physician associates under the board’s rules; offenses include impairment, mental incompetence, and other grounds for disciplinary action.
- Identification: Licensees must wear a name tag identifying as a “physician assistant associate,” and keep license available at the primary place of employment.
8) Exemptions
- Provisions do not apply to:
- Emergency medical services in urgent situations.
- Students in accredited PA programs.
- Federal government employment performing duties incidental to federal work.
Effective date and administrative notes
- Section 2 of the bill directs the Louisiana State Law Institute to change references from “physician assistant” to “physician associate” across the Revised Statutes.
- Action history shows referral to the Health and Welfare Committee; sponsor is Rep. Miller (co-sponsor: Rep. Dustin Miller).
Impact Considerations
- Practitioners: The rename to “physician associate” will require updates in licensing, credentials, and workplace materials.
- Supervising physicians and practices: Expanded/adapted supervision agreements, potential changes to practice workflows, and documentation requirements.
- Regulatory oversight: A new advisory committee provides structured physician associate input into licensing and disciplinary processes.
- Public protection: Maintains ongoing supervision and accountability while clarifying liability and scope of practice.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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