Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding certified registered nurse anesthetists.
Summary
House Bill 289 adds a new section to Idaho’s nurse licensing laws to define and regulate certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). The bill states that a CRNA is a licensed registered nurse with graduate-level nurse anesthesia education and national certification, and it expressly authorizes CRNAs to provide the full spectrum of anesthesia care and related services within their scope of practice.
The bill also addresses liability and supervision issues. It provides that a physician is not civilly liable for anesthesia services furnished solely and independently by a CRNA when the physician did not directly control, supervise, or assume responsibility for those services. It further clarifies that this immunity applies even if the physician is physically present, so long as the physician did not undertake supervision or direction. At the same time, the bill preserves liability for a physician’s own negligence or separate services, and it states that it does not create new supervision requirements or alter facility accreditation or federal Medicare/Medicaid participation standards.
Impact
The bill amends Chapter 14, Title 54 of the Idaho Code by adding Section 54-1421, which affects the regulation of CRNAs and the allocation of liability between CRNAs and physicians. It reinforces CRNA authority to practice anesthesia care within their licensure and training, while limiting physician exposure to civil damages for independently provided CRNA services. The measure also preserves the authority of the Idaho Board of Nursing and the Idaho State Board of Medicine, and it disclaims any effect on other state-law provisions or non-preempted federal and facility requirements. The act is declared an emergency measure and takes effect July 1, 2025.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support and little visible opposition in the recorded votes. It passed the House 69-0 and the Senate 33-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion in the provided materials suggests no major recorded controversy during the legislative process.
Contention
The main policy issue addressed by the bill is the scope of CRNA practice and whether physicians should bear liability when CRNAs provide anesthesia independently. The bill resolves that issue in favor of limiting physician liability, while explicitly preserving liability for a physician’s own conduct. Potential points of concern for opponents would likely center on supervision, malpractice exposure, and the relationship between CRNA practice and physician oversight, but no recorded opposition appears in the provided vote history. The bill also carefully avoids changing federal Medicare/Medicaid participation rules or facility accreditation standards, which may have been intended to reduce contention.