Venkat’s legislation to ease restrictions on physician assistants passes PA House unanimously

HARRISBURG, Oct. 1 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat’s bills that would enhance licensure flexibility for physician assistants related to their supervising physicians passed the Pennsylvania House unanimously today.

House Bills 2294 and 2295 would amend the physician licensure acts in Pennsylvania and allow physician assistants to work with either classification of physician, a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, without having to align with the physician’s license type. Current law requires that physician assistants and supervising physicians must be licensed by the same state medicine board.

“Medical professionals want to help as many patients as possible, and my commonsense bills eliminate a circumstantial barrier to performing their sworn duty,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their affirmative votes and their personal investments in the health and livelihood of patients and health professionals alike.”

Both bills now move to the state Senate for consideration.