S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 6958--A

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 1, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed  to  the  Committee  on  Higher  Education  --
  committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
  recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the  education  law,  in  relation  to  the  educational
  requirements for specialist assistants and physician assistants

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Paragraphs (c), (d) and (e) of  subdivision  1  of  section
6541  of  the  education  law,  as amended by chapter 179 of the laws of
1992, are amended to read as follows:
  (c) IN THE CASE OF AN  APPLICANT  FOR  REGISTRATION  AS  A  SPECIALIST
ASSISTANT,  has  successfully completed a four-year course of study in a
secondary school approved by the board  of  regents  or  has  passed  an
equivalency test;
  (d)  IN  THE  CASE  OF  AN  APPLICANT  FOR REGISTRATION AS A PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANT, HAS RECEIVED AN EDUCATION INCLUDING A  BACHELOR'S  OR  EQUIV-
ALENT DEGREE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS;
  (E)  has satisfactorily completed an approved program for the training
of physician assistants or specialist assistants. The  approved  program
for  the  training  of  physician assistants shall include not less than
forty weeks of supervised clinical training and thirty-two credit  hours
of classroom work.  APPLICANTS FOR REGISTRATION AS A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
WHO HAVE COMPLETED AN APPROVED PROGRAM LEADING TO A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR
EQUIVALENT IN PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE SATIS-
FIED  THIS PARAGRAPH. The commissioner is empowered to determine whether
an applicant possesses equivalent education and training, such as  expe-
rience as a nurse or military corpsman, which may be accepted in lieu of
all or part of an approved program; and
  [(e)]  (F) in the case of an applicant for registration as a physician
assistant, has obtained a passing score on an examination acceptable  to
the department.
  S  2.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall apply to new
applications for registration as a physician assistant occurring on  and
after such date.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD16153-02-0