Revises provisions relating to physician assistants. (BDR 54-965)

(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 21, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT S.B. 294

- *SB294_R1*

SENATE BILL NO. 294–SENATOR FLORES

MARCH 6, 2025
____________

JOINT SPONSOR: ASSEMBLYMEMBER D’SILVA
____________

Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to physician assistants.
(BDR 54-965)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.

~

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to physician assistants; requiring the Board of
Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic
Medicine to authorize a supervising physician or
osteopathic physician to simultaneously supervise not less
than six physician assistants; and providing other matters
properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law: (1) provides for the licensure and regulation of physician 1
assistants by the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic 2
Medicine; and (2) requires a physician assistant to work under the supervision of a 3
physician or osteopathic physician. (NRS 630.271, 630.275, 633.432 -633.469) 4
Existing regulations, with certain exceptions, prohibit a supervising physician or 5
osteopathic physician from sim ultaneously supervising more than three physician 6
assistants. (NAC 630.495, 633.288) Sections 1 and 2 of this bill require the Board 7
of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine to adopt 8
regulations which authorize a supervising physician or osteopathic physician to 9
simultaneously supervise not less than six physician assistants. 10

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. NRS 630.275 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
630.275 The Board shall adopt regulations regarding the 2
licensure of a physician assistant, including, but not limited to: 3

– 2 –

- *SB294_R1*
1. The educational and other qualifications of applicants. 1
2. The required academic program for applicants. 2
3. The procedures for applications for and the issuance of 3
licenses. 4
4. The procedures deemed necessary by the Board for 5
applications for and the initial issuance of licenses by endorsement 6
pursuant to NRS 630.2751 or 630.2752. 7
5. The tests or examinations of applicants required by the 8
Board. 9
6. The medical services which a physician assistant may 10
perform, except that a physician assistant may not perform those 11
specific functions and duties delegated or restricted by law to 12
persons licensed as dentists, chiropractic ph ysicians, naprapaths, 13
podiatric physicians and optometrists under chapters 631, 634, 14
634B, 635 and 636, respectively, of NRS, or as hearing aid 15
specialists. 16
7. The duration, renewal and termination of licenses, including 17
licenses by endorsement. The Boar d shall not require a physician 18
assistant to receive or maintain certification by the National 19
Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, or its 20
successor organization, or by any other nationally recognized 21
organization for the accreditation of p hysician assistants to satisfy 22
any continuing education requirements for the renewal of licenses. 23
8. The grounds and procedures respecting disciplinary actions 24
against physician assistants. 25
9. The supervision of medical services of a physician assistan t 26
by a supervising physician [.] , which must authorize a supervising 27
physician to simultaneously supervise not less than six physician 28
assistants. 29
10. A physician assistant’s use of equipment that transfers 30
information concerning the medical condition o f a patient in this 31
State electronically, telephonically or by fiber optics, including, 32
without limitation, through telehealth, from within or outside this 33
State or the United States. 34
Sec. 2. NRS 633.434 is hereby amended to read as follows: 35
633.434 The Board shall adopt regulations regarding the 36
licensure of a physician assistant, including, without limitation: 37
1. The educational and other qualifications of applicants. 38
2. The required academic program for applicants. 39
3. The procedures for applications for and the issuance of 40
licenses. 41
4. The procedures deemed necessary by the Board for 42
applications for and the issuance of initial licenses by endorsement 43
pursuant to NRS 633.4335 and 633.4336. 44
5. The tests or examinations of applicants by the Board. 45

– 3 –

- *SB294_R1*
6. The medical services which a physician assistant may 1
perform, except that a physician assistant may not perform 2
osteopathic manipulative therapy or those specific functions and 3
duties delegated or restricted by law to persons licensed as dentists, 4
chiropractic physicians, doctors of Oriental medicine, naprapaths, 5
podiatric physicians, optometrists and hearing aid specialists under 6
chapters 631, 634, 634A, 634B, 635, 636 and 637B, respectively, of 7
NRS. 8
7. The grounds and procedures respecting disciplinary actions 9
against physician assistants. 10
8. The supervision of medical services of a physician assistant 11
by a supervising osteopathic physician [.] , which must authorize a 12
supervising osteopathic physician to s imultaneously supervise not 13
less than six physician assistants. 14
Sec. 3. This act becomes effective: 15
1. Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any 16
regulations and performing any other preparatory administrat ive 17
tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 18
2. On January 1, 2026, for all other purposes. 19

H