OAPA is your legislative advocate for the PA profession, working to eliminate barriers so that you may practice in Ohio at the top of your license.
Latest News
Legislative VICTORY!
PAs Granted Access as Authorized Signers in SB81
- OAPA Launches RFP Process for Lobbying Services
- LEGISLATIVE ALERT: PA Licensure Compact (SB 28) Heads to Governor's Desk
- LEGISLATIVE ALERT: OAPA Submits Written Opponent Testimony on HB 102
- LEGISLATIVE ALERT: OAPA Submits Written Opponent Testimony on HB 73
- Op-Ed: OAPA President Matthew Freado, MBA, PA-C, on the Realities of Legislative Progress, Why It Matters, and How You Can Help
- LEGISLATIVE ALERT: OAPA Gives Opponent Testimony on SB 60
- LEGISLATIVE ALERT: OAPA Gives Interested Party Testimony on SB 196
- Celebrating 5 Years of Advocacy Success - Eliminating the PA Formulary
- PA Advocacy Day - Ad Hoc Committee Now Accepting Members
Join the Cause
How can you support this advocacy?
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Become an OAPA member, maintain your membership through dues renewal, and encourage others to join. When it comes to government advocacy, strength in numbers is critical!
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Show what you know as one of OAPA's go-to experts. If you have strong expertise in one or more specialty areas of PA practice, raise your hand so we can turn to you when pertinent legislation comes along.
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Stay informed of PA practice issues in Ohio, share legislative news with your colleagues, and make your voice heard when OAPA alerts our membership community to take action on impending legislation. Take a look at our advocacy talking points!
- Provide additional financial support through OAPA Legislative Fund and OAPA PAC contributions.
Current Priorities
Passed by the Senate and the House and currently awaiting the Governor's signature, this bill would add Ohio to the list of states participating in the PA Licensure Compact. If signed, this law could assist with telehealth to expand medical care to more patients, allow for consistent follow up with patients who may be out of state, and expand access to more quality providers and quicker appointments.
SB60: License Certified Mental Health Assistants and HB102: License Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapists
Senate Bill 60 passed the Senate and is awaiting introduction in the House, whereas House Bill 102 has been passed out of committee and is awaiting a vote in the House before potentially moving onto the Senate. These bills would create new health care professions that may negatively affect PA practice, so OAPA is engaging with stakeholders and has provided opponent testimony for both bills.
Additional Legislative Priorities/Activities:
- Title change for the PA profession (from Physician Assistant to Physician Associate - read more on this from AAPA)
- Enhancing PA practice through pink slip ability (related HB249 in House Committee)
- Removing restrictions to allow PAs to perform moderate sedation, among other actions.
- Noncompete provisions in health care professions (SB126 currently in Senate Committee)
Select Accomplishments
SB81: Authorized PAs to Sign Hospital Patient Documents
Signed into law in June 2024 and taking effect in September 2024 (in ORC Section 4730.204), this bill:
- Included PAs among other advanced practice providers to permit their signature on documents related to the following (though stopping short of permitting a PA to "pink slip" a patient):
(1) The admission of a patient to a health care facility for the purpose of receiving psychiatric or other behavioral health care services on an inpatient basis;
(2) The discharge of a patient from a health care facility after receiving inpatient psychiatric or other behavioral health care services;
(3) The treatment of a patient while at a health care facility on an inpatient basis for psychiatric or other behavioral health care services. - Confirmed that a supervising physician who authorizes a physician assistant to sign one or more documents as described in this section is not liable for damages, administrative action, or criminal prosecution for an act or omission that arises from the physician assistant signing the document. Note, however, that this relates only to the documentation in question, not the supervision agreement and its related physician responsibilities and liabilities.
Signed into law in December 2018 and taking effect in March 2019, this bill:
- Removed the PA formulary
- Increased the ratio of PAs to supervising physicians to 5-1
- Allowed for out-of-state and military PAs without a Masters Degree to obtain Ohio PA licensure with two years of practice immediately preceding application
- Allowed for PAs with a Masters Degree but who did not apply for prescriptive authority when the law previously changed to now obtain prescriptive authority
- Made changes to the PAPC, including allowing meetings to be conducted by teleconference or videoconference and reducing the number of pharmacists to one
Signed into law in September 2018 and taking effect throughout 2018 and 2019, this bill:
- Eliminated the requirement that each physician assistant supervision agreement be submitted to, and reviewed by, the State Medical Board of Ohio.
None at this time.
