An Act to Change the Professional Title and Identification of Physician Assistants to Physician Associates
Summary
LD 1166 changes Maine law to replace the professional title “physician assistant” with “physician associate” across the Maine Revised Statutes, while preserving the existing role’s scope of practice. The bill amends the licensing provisions for both allopathic and osteopathic physician assistant boards so that applicants and licensees are referred to as physician assistant associates, and it updates related terminology in licensing, renewal, delegation, rulemaking, and title-protection provisions.
The bill also directs the Revisor of Statutes to make conforming changes wherever the old title appears, with limited exceptions for references to national accrediting and certifying organizations and certain chapter provisions. It expressly states that the change is not intended to expand the scope of practice beyond what physician assistants already may do under current Maine statutes and board rules.
Impact
The bill primarily affects Title 32 professional licensing statutes governing physician assistants under the Board of Licensure in Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Licensure. It changes the legal title used in licensure, practice, and enforcement provisions, including the protected-use language and the Class E crime for misrepresenting licensure status, while leaving substantive practice authority unchanged. It also requires conforming statutory revisions throughout the Maine Revised Statutes and preserves existing rights of currently licensed physician assistants until renewal, at which point they become licensed as physician associates.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall tone appears administrative and supportive of a professional title update rather than a policy overhaul. The bill is framed as a terminology and identification change, with an explicit statement that it does not expand scope of practice, suggesting an effort to reduce confusion and modernize the profession’s title. No opposing arguments or recorded vote split are provided in the materials.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the title change itself, especially the shift from “physician assistant” to “physician associate” and the requirement that renewed licenses use the new title. Another possible issue is the continued use of “P.A.” and the protected-title enforcement provisions, which could affect public understanding and professional branding. However, the bill attempts to limit controversy by stating that it does not expand scope of practice and by preserving existing rights for current licensees during the term of their licenses.
An Act to Combine the Board of Licensure in Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Licensure into a Single Licensing Board for All Physicians and Physician Associates
Practice of medicine; creating the Supervised Physicians Act; limiting scope of supervised practice; directing specified Boards to promulgate certain rules; requiring collaborative practice arrangements; creating certain exemptions; effective date.
Practice of medicine; creating the Supervised Physicians Act; limiting scope of supervised practice; directing specified Boards to promulgate certain rules; requiring collaborative practice arrangements; creating certain exemptions; effective date.