House floor is next stop for bill to cut down supervised training of new physicians assistants

The measure to drop a requirement for physicians assistants to spend their first 18 months on the job under the supervision of a doctor is now just one major step away from going to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Senate Bill 43 , sponsored by Republican Sen. Tom Buford of Nicholasville, passed the House Standing Committee on Health and Welfare on Tuesday, sending it to the House floor. The bill cuts the physician assistant training requirement to 90 days.

Rep. Robert Benvenuti, R-Lexington, said, “it is in line with what other states have done because physician assistants are not independent practitioners, they are always the responsibility of their physician.”

Several lawmakers, including Benvenuti, have said that they will continue to study the issue and reserved the right to change their vote when the issue comes up on the House floor.