Global signature authority for health care providers.
AN ACT relating to professions and occupations; providing signature authority for physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses; directing rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.
EducationHealthcare
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Senator Wasserburger
Last action
2020-03-12
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2020
Plain English Breakdown
The official source material does not provide information on how this will affect patient care in practice.
Health Care Providers Can Sign Medical Documents
This law allows advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to sign medical documents that typically require a doctor's signature, as long as they are within their job duties.
What This Bill Does
Allows advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to sign medical documents that usually require a doctor's signature.
Permits physician assistants (PAs) to sign medical documents that typically need a doctor’s signature.
Requires the State Board of Nursing and the State Board of Medicine to make rules for this new authority.
Who It Names or Affects
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)
Physician assistants (PAs)
Terms To Know
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
A nurse with advanced education and training in a specific area of nursing.
Physician Assistant (PA)
A health care professional who works under the supervision of a doctor to provide medical care.
Limits and Unknowns
The law does not change the overall duties and responsibilities of APRNs or PAs.
Rules for implementing this act need to be made by specific state boards.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment allows for expanding the duties and responsibilities that a supervising doctor can delegate to a physician assistant.
Adds language allowing the expansion of duties and responsibilities that a supervising physician can give to a physician assistant.
The exact nature of expanded duties is not specified in the amendment text, so it's unclear what specific new tasks physician assistants might be able to perform.
Bill History
2020-03-12LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 57
2020-03-12Governor
Governor Signed SEA No. 0030
2020-03-09House
H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0030
2020-03-06Senate
S President Signed SEA No. 0030
2020-03-06LSO
Assigned Number SEA No. 0030
2020-03-06House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 58-0-2-0-0
2020-03-05House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-03-04House
H COW:Passed
2020-03-03House
H Placed on General File
2020-03-03House
H10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0
2020-02-28House
H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor
2020-02-26House
H Received for Introduction
2020-02-26Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 30-0-0-0-0
2020-02-25Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2020-02-24Senate
S COW:Passed
2020-02-17Senate
S Placed on General File
2020-02-17Senate
S10 - Labor:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0
2020-02-12Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S10 - Labor 28-1-1-0-0
2020-02-10Senate
S Received for Introduction
2020-02-07LSO
Bill Number Assigned
Official Summary Text
Bill Summary - 20LSO-0527
Bill No.:
SF0091
Effective:
7/1/2020 12:00:00 AM
LSO No.:
20LSO-0527
Enrolled Act No.:
SEA No. 0030
Chapter No.:
57
Prime Sponsor:
Wasserburger
Catch Title:
Global signature authority for health care providers.
Subject:
Authorizing advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants to fulfill signature requirements.
Summary/Major Elements:
Current law outlines the scope of duties and authority for advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants in Wyoming.
The act provides that, so long as they are acting within the scope of their duties, advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants can fulfill any requirement for a signature or certification by a physician.
The act clarifies that this authority does not expand the duties and responsibilities of physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses.
The act requires the State Board of Nursing and the State Board of Medicine to promulgate any necessary rules.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent. While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
20LSO-0527
ORIGINAL Senate
File No
.
SF0091
ENROLLED ACT NO. 30,
SENATE
SIXTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2020 Budget Session
AN ACT relating to professions and occupations; providing signature authority for physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses; directing rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
.
W.S. 33
‑
21
‑
158 is created to read:
33
‑
21
‑
158.
Advanced practice registered nurses; signature authority.
Except as otherwise provided by law and including the restriction in W.S. 33
‑
21
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120(a)(i)(A), an advanced practice registered nurse acting within the scope of the advanced practice registered nurse's practice may fulfill any requirement for a signature, certification, stamp, verification, affidavit, endorsement or other acknowledgement by a physician. Nothing in this section shall be construed to expand the scope of practice of an advanced practice registered nurse as provided in this article.
Section 2.
W.S. 33
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26
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502 by creating a new subsection (e) is amended to read:
33
‑
26
‑
502.
Scope of W.S. 33
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26
‑
501 through 33
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26
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511; signature authority.
(e)
Except as otherwise provided by law and
including the restriction in
W.S. 33
‑
26
‑
510(c), a physician assistant acting within the scope of the physician assistant's practice
may fulfill any requirement for a signature, certification, stamp, verification, affidavit, endorsement or other acknowledgement by a physician. Nothing in this
subsection shall be construed to expand the scope of practice of a physician assistant as provided in this article
or to expand the duties and responsibilities delegated to a physician assistant by the physician assistant's supervising physician
.
Section 3.
The state board of nursing and the state board of medicine, in consultation with the state board of pharmacy, shall promulgate any rules necessary to implement this act.
Section 4
.
This act is effective July 1, 2020
.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
1