Bill
HB 2368
HB 2368 would license anesthesiologist assistants in Kansas under the Board of Healing Arts, define supervision, license types, fees up to $200, and civil and criminal enforcement.
Status and procedural history
- Title: Providing for the licensure of anesthesiologist assistants (AAs).
- Introduced: February 3, 2025. Hearing noticed for Feb. 17, 2025.
- Current status (as provided): Withdrawn from Committee on Federal and State Affairs; referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.
- Fiscal note issued by Kansas Division of the Budget: February 14, 2025.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a statutory licensure framework for anesthesiologist assistants in Kansas, bringing AA practice under the regulation of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. The bill creates license types, sets application/renewal rules, authorizes rulemaking, and provides enforcement mechanisms.
Key provisions and changes
- New Anesthesiologist Assistant Licensure Act (Sections 1–12): creates definitions and a regulatory structure.
- Definitions: sets terms such as “anesthesiologist assistant,” “supervising anesthesiologist,” “designated anesthesiologist,” and “direction and supervision.”
- License types:
- Active license — requires written application, fee, and a signed request by the AA and supervising anesthesiologist naming the supervising relationship. Board maintains an active-practice roster.
- Inactive license — for qualified individuals not engaged in active practice; may be converted to active with application and fee.
- License by endorsement — allows licensure without re‑examination for applicants licensed elsewhere who meet standards comparable to Kansas (including practice history, verification of good standing, proof of equivalent examination standards, English proficiency).
- Temporary licenses referenced (details in bill).
- Renewal, reinstatement, continuing education: licenses expire per Board rules; renewal procedures, late fees, reinstatement requirements, and continuing education authority are established.
- Supervisory standards: requires AAs to provide services only under the direction and supervision of a supervising or designated anesthesiologist; the Board is authorized to define supervisory standards by rule.
- Regulatory bodies and rulemaking:
- Kansas State Board of Healing Arts administers licensure, adopts rules, and enforces the Act.
- Anesthesiologist Assistant Council created to advise the Board (details in bill).
- Fees: bill sets maximum licensure fee at $200 (Board may set actual fees up to that amount).
- Enforcement and violations: creates violations of the Act, authorizes civil actions for violations, and (per the fiscal note) establishes a new criminal offense that carries a class B misdemeanor penalty; Board disciplinary processes implied.
Who or what is affected
- Primary: practicing and prospective anesthesiologist assistants and supervising anesthesiologists in Kansas.
- Secondary: hospitals and surgical centers that employ or contract with AAs; the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (new licensing responsibilities); the judicial system (civil actions and misdemeanor enforcement); patients (access to care under regulated supervision).
- Potential interstate impact for AAs licensed elsewhere seeking Kansas licensure by endorsement.
Fiscal and administrative impact (per Kansas Division of the Budget fiscal note)
- Estimated fee-fund expenditures: +$212,151 in FY 2026; +$194,151 annually thereafter.
- Staffing: 2.00 FTE (Licensing Analyst — salary & benefits $71,023; Associate General Counsel — $123,128).
- One-time start-up costs: $9,000 per position (computers, software, furniture, etc.).
- Licensing system changes and rule promulgation costs included.
- Estimated fee revenue: ~$22,500/year (assumes ~150 licensees and a $150 fee; bill caps fee at $200). The Board lacks exact data on likely applicant counts; the estimate uses Missouri licensee counts as a benchmark.
- Judicial impact: Office of Judicial Administration notes possible increases in district court filings (civil suits and misdemeanor prosecutions) and potential additional Court Services supervision; any net fiscal effect on the judiciary cannot be precisely estimated. Any docket fees/fines assessed would be deposited to the State General Fund.
- Note: fiscal impacts were not reflected in the FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.
Limitations / items to watch
- The bill text available is partly truncated; some operational details (exact scope-of-practice language, specific supervision ratios or settings, detailed disciplinary provisions, and temporary-license criteria) are not fully visible in the posted excerpt. Final impacts will depend on Board rulemaking and the fee level the Board actually sets (up to $200).
- The number of AAs who will seek Kansas licensure is uncertain; revenue offset estimates are therefore preliminary.
Bottom line
HB 2368 would formally regulate anesthesiologist assistants in Kansas by creating licensure categories, defining supervisory relationships, authorizing the State Board of Healing Arts to set rules, and establishing enforcement tools. The Board expects modest recurring administrative costs requiring two new staff positions; fee revenue from licensees is expected to partially offset those costs. The bill also creates potential new civil and criminal enforcement activity that could affect the judicial branch.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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