Chapter 418 (HB 746)

Chapter 418 (HB 746) will permit PAs to practice without a practice agreement after completing the equivalent of three years of full-time clinical experience and receiving an attestation from the patient care team physician with whom they collaborated and consulted. HB 746 was signed into law by the governor on April 8.

As required by the legislation, the Board of Medicine will now adopt regulations implementing the provisions of the law and establishing the authorization and licensing process. The adoption of the regulations is exempt from the typical administrative process, so we expect the regulations to be implemented by the end of the year.

Once enacted, this law will ensure Virginia’s physician associate (PA) workforce of 5,150 PAs is mobilized in the state’s efforts to increase patient access to care.