What's happening
This bill allows physician assistants in New York to use fluoroscopy for procedures after completing specific training and a competency exam.
Why it matters
Expands the role of physician assistants (PAs). By explicitly allowing trained PAs to use fluoroscopy, the bill enables them to take on more advanced and technically demanding responsibilities, potentially increasing their value within healthcare teams and improving workflow efficiency, especially in procedural settings.
May improve patient access and reduce delays. Allowing PAs to perform fluoroscopy-guided procedures (after rigorous training) could help alleviate bottlenecks where only certain providers (like doctors or radiologic technologists) are permitted to use fluoroscopy, leading to quicker diagnostics and treatments for patients.
Emphasizes patient safety through training requirements. The bill mandates a minimum of 80 hours of combined education (didactic and clinical) plus a competency exam for PAs, aiming to ensure that only those with proven proficiency can use fluoroscopy—helping to mitigate potential risks associated with radiation exposure and complex procedures.
Could shift professional dynamics and regulatory oversight. By giving PAs new procedural authority, the bill may affect how healthcare teams are structured, how radiologic technologists and physicians work with PAs, and how oversight and credentialing processes are managed within hospitals and clinics.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow PAs to Use Fluoroscopy
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let PAs Use Fluoroscopy
In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor Gustavo Rivera
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2982
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, JAFFEE, BYRNE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the use of fluoroscopy by physician assistants
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 3501 of the public health law is amended by adding a new subdivision 20 to read as follows:
20. "Fluoroscopy" means an x-ray based technique that allows continuous real-time imaging of an instrument, dye, or body part during a diagnostic or treatment procedure so that location and movement of such instrument, dye, or body part can be detected and evaluated.
§ 2. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subdivision 2 of section 3502 of the public health law, as added by chapter 175 of the laws of 2006, are amended, and a new paragraph (e) is added to read as follows:
(c) only persons licensed under this article shall practice radiography, radiation therapy or nuclear medicine technology or use the title "radiographer," "radiologic technologist," "radiation therapist" or "nuclear medicine technologist" or use the abbreviations LRT, RTT, LRTT, NMT, or LNMT with his or her name; [and]
(d) notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this subdivision, quality control tests and radiation therapy treatment planning may also be performed by individuals not licensed by this article[.]; and
(e) a licensed physician assistant may engage in the use of fluoroscopy for guidance of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; provided that the physician assistant has successfully completed an educational program consisting of at least forty hours of didactic and forty hours of clinical training with successful completion of a competency exam, as approved by the department.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment or repeal of any rules or regulations necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03490-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.