Physician assistant school.

WORKING DRAFT
2007
STATE OF
WYOMING
07LSO-0447.E1

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0248

Physician assistant school.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Harshman and Senator(s) Barrasso

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating education; establishing a task force to review the possibility of opening a physician assistant school in
Wyoming
; reappropriating funds; providing for a report; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

(a)

There is created a physician assistant training program task force consisting of the following members, who shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman:

(i)

Two (2) members from the
University
of
Wyoming
appointed by the president of the
University
of
Wyoming
;

(ii)

Two (2) members of the state board of medicine, one (1) of whom shall be physician assistant;

(iii)

Two (2) members appointed by the chairman of the
Wyoming
community college commission;

(iv)

Two (2) members appointed by the governor with distinguished credentials and experience in medicine or academics;

(v)

Two (2) members shall be members of the legislature, one (1) appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one (1) appointed by the president of the senate.

(b)

The task force shall:

(i)

Study the feasibility of a joint venture between the
University
of
Wyoming
and a
Wyoming
community college to develop an accredited physician assistant training program in
Wyoming
;

(ii)

Develop a plan for the content of the physician assistant training program, which shall include the mission, academic program and financial plan;

(iii)

Identify opportunities to establish relationships with other nationally recognized medical schools for the operation of the physician assistant training program
, including collaborating with a higher education institution that currently offers an accredited physician assistant program to offer as much of the program as possible or to periodically offer the program to a cohort of students
;

(iv)

Develop a business plan for determining the appropriate tuition levels, with the ability to offer resident incentives;

(v)

Determine the need for facilities to implement the plans for the physician assistant training program located in Wyoming
, including maximizing existing facilities for health care professional training programs and if necessary, acquiring new facilities to accommodate the program
; and

(vi)

Develop a proposed budget for implementing its recommendations.

(c)

The physician assistant training program task force shall report its plan for the physician assistant training program together with any recommendations for additional legislation necessary to implement the plan to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee, the joint appropriations interim committee and the governor no later than December 1, 2007.

(d)

The task force shall be staffed by the governor's office. The task force may contract for administrative and research services to aid in preparation of the task force report. The governor's office shall convene the task force no later than May 1, 2007.

(e)

The task force shall exist until December 1, 2007. Members of the task force who are not legislators shall not receive a salary but shall receive reimbursement for necessary travel and per diem expenses in the manner and amount provided for state employees under W.S. 9
‑
3
‑
102 and 9
‑
3
‑
103. Members of the task force who are legislators shall be paid salary, per diem and travel expenses as provided in W.S. 28
‑
5
‑
101 for their official duties as members of the task force.

Section 2.

For purposes of this act for the fiscal biennium ending June 30, 2008, t
here is appropriated one-half (1/2) of all unexpended funds previously appropriated to the legislative service office by 2005 Session Laws, Chapter 190, Section 6. Of this amount, ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) is appropriated to the legislative service office to fund the salaries, per diem and travel expenses of the state legislative members of the task force pursuant to section 1 of this act. The remainder is appropriated to the governor's office to fund the meetings and activities of the task force and to contract with appropriate professionals as necessary to complete the duties assigned to the task force in section 1 of this act.

Section 3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0248