Radiologist assistants.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Rules for Radiologist Assistants

This law sets rules for people who want to be called radiologist assistants, including passing an exam and working under the supervision of a licensed radiologist.

What This Bill Does

• Requires anyone wanting to call themselves a radiologist assistant to pass a special exam.
• Needs radiologist assistants to keep their registration up-to-date with certain groups.
• Makes it necessary for radiologist assistants to work only under a licensed radiologist's supervision.
• Allows radiologist assistants to share initial observations and procedures directly with the supervising radiologist.
• Gives supervising radiologists permission to assign tasks usually done by them to qualified radiologist assistants.

Who It Names or Affects

• Radiologist assistants who want to work in California.
• Licensed radiologists who supervise radiologist assistants.

Terms To Know

radiologist assistant

A person who helps a licensed radiologist with medical imaging tasks after passing an exam and meeting other requirements.

supervising radiologist

A licensed doctor of radiology who oversees the work of a radiologist assistant.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks these rules.
• It is unclear how this will affect current workers without proper certification.

Official Summary Text

AB 2256, as introduced, Chen.
Radiologist assistants.
Existing law, the Radiologic Technology Act, prohibits a person from administering or using diagnostic or therapeutic X-rays on human beings in this state, unless that person either qualifies for a specified exemption or has been certified or granted a permit by the State Department of Public Health, as specified, is acting within the scope of that certification or permit, and is acting under the supervision of a healing arts licensee. A person who violates a provision of the Radiologic Technology Act or regulation of the department adopted pursuant to that act is guilty of a misdemeanor.
This bill would prohibit a person from holding themselves out as a radiologist assistant unless the person meets certain requirements, including that they have passed the radiologist assistant examination, as specified, and that they maintain current registration
with prescribed entities. The bill would require a radiologist assistant to work only under the supervision of a radiologist and would prohibit a radiologist assistant from functioning in that capacity independent of a supervising radiologist. The bill, among other things, would authorize a radiologist assistant to communicate and document initial clinical and imaging observations or procedures only to a radiologist for the radiologist’s use. The bill would authorize a supervising radiologist to delegate to a radiologist assistant, as the radiologist determines appropriate to the assistant’s competence, those tasks or services that a radiologist usually performs and is qualified to perform. The bill would provide that a violation of its provisions does not constitute a misdemeanor.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF