[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6124514,"mediaKeyId","2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae","parentId",2682454,"title","Committee approves bill letting physician assistants delegate specified clinical tasks to supervised staff","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1782000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae&start=1782&end=1782","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae/thumbnail_1782000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6124514/Arkansas/Committee-approves-bill-letting-physician-assistants-delegate-specified-clinical-tasks-to-supervised-staff","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124514-1770ce8602e6b7a4151a736baeecce24/orig.mp4?Expires=1775475259&Signature=LKZv85O1OqBiruadSoRzAiz34j6RXnUYZJ1qR3rI-ZrAVhlOta0ZaJY7n2gerTXebyOwEmqjBwLL9~-rlEsaOMnRS9Hbetg2RkY6RYfG4oS3R4QWD2yOwEGKe-HzveaZJGpM4-vgsBGdEIigBjrVgZbeK9fEySby892wWkZD1biwBInVp7DwydVOt0f-7F8z34to9ro7Eyvd4bevwkNbW7s7AHGd0QaWvs04DumwiEwwIcoYTiipP00qG0kMfLxie2PmAE038yhXMsxW~3AYJ4BLU22QRJv4Io292669s38zw~uGdLvYQVT1TNmdvswdQHffR1Gy2caEBlXBsBxjMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arkansas Legislature","date","2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","article","The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 99, which allows physician assistants (PAs) to delegate specified clinical tasks to qualified, supervised staff members as authorized by the supervising physician or supervising PA.

State Representative Zach Gramlich, appearing to introduce the measure, and Aaron Woodall, a family-practice PA from North Little Rock and president of the Arkansas Academy of PAs, described PA education and supervision standards to underline the profession's qualifications. “Education that results in a master's degree that includes over 2000 hours of clinical education through rotations,” Woodall said, summarizing PA clinical training.

Edward Williams, program director and chair of the UAMS physician assistant program, also testified in support, saying expanded delegation could improve clinic workflow and make PAs more hireable in Arkansas. “This type of bill being passed for PAs will help to make PAs more hireable and more desirable in the health care community and make a big difference,” Williams said.

Witnesses said the measure aligns Arkansas practice with national norms; one committee member noted that 48 states allow similar delegation. The bill drew no recorded opposition in the transcript, and the chair announced passage: “Ayes have it. Congratulations. Your bill has passed.”

The measure clarifies that specified tasks may be performed by delegated, supervised clinical staff when ordered by a PA or physician; the transcript records representatives and medical-education witnesses describing training hours and supervision but does not list a roll-call vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee Meeting Mar 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 99, supported by physician assistant groups and UAMS, allows physician assistants to delegate certain clinical tasks to qualified supervised staff and passed the committee without recorded opposition.","taxTitle","PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Arkansas","taxId",21192,"location","Arkansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6124519,"Committee rejects bill requiring four‑year host-community reauthorization for landfill certificates of need",762,1100000,1862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae&start=1100&end=1862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae/thumbnail_1100000.jpg","/articles/6124519/Arkansas/Committee-rejects-bill-requiring-fouryear-host-community-reauthorization-for-landfill-certificates-of-need","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124519-b5b6eced1793ae5030c1959a1dd576f6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775475259&Signature=NL0T8LsielhhAFA1IBGZPr6K-J4xi1wgy-Z5VnIcMRWGDmL5lGjnTSMD~uwBit6oga5HYFs1ncURelQKYx5xXj5GyvcZ2OBUKrCx7KwN7uQiAqkWlzgAmiBJFpTR1mR7scCJILynu7dBhliDxm7r3hgvCUiV8AJZloR9aVG8K~4Z9niq7lpYLLaF3pzPYjGTikFi4Fv2j-rtlPc55Nhc5kWo45e54vWTHDdIUcfgkPB8xEXnc0YAXyDnCV3vEzq2xfa2yGCbtvfDokgQ3iWo9-LXBhJXJwE83QvxbAzdw0nsTFC0t52TFeGoWDRErOuOHxckUZTIkY44xB3Bw3tNrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee debated House Bill 1776, a measure that would require host communities to reissue or supplement a certificate of need for a landfill or landfill expansion at least every four years.

Representative Lundstrom (presenting HB 1776) said the bill was intended to prevent erratic or repeated votes by host communities and to create a predictable four-year review cycle. “This forces everybody at the table every 4 years and then they move forward,” she said.

Jamie Vernon, a public‑sector representative for Waste Management, testified against the bill, saying the additional procedural steps could delay permitting and raise costs for landfill applicants and the state. “Requirement for an additional supplemental certificate of need from the regional solid waste management board and a supplemental host community vote or minute order if more than 4 years pass is labor bureaucracy that could extend the timeline of obtaining necessary permits,” Vernon said. He warned that expensive engineering and subsurface analyses — “costing millions of dollars” — could be jeopardized if political steps were added late in the permitting sequence.

Supporters, including the bill sponsor and her backers, said the measure would create consistency and reduce stop‑start disputes in host‑community actions. The sponsor said ADEQ had been neutral on the bill and had helped narrow its language.

Committee debate included concerns that the four‑year requirement could introduce political complications late in a multi‑year permitting process and potentially discourage investment in waste infrastructure. Representative Pilking said he would vote no, citing worries that the bill would impede the state’s ability to obtain new landfill capacity at a time of population growth.

When the committee took the motion, the chair announced the bill had failed.","House Bill 1776 would have required host-community certificates of need for landfills to be revisited and reauthorized every four years; the bill drew opposition from Waste Management over permitting delays and was defeated in committee.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6124525,"Committee requires public vote, fixed terms for landfill host-fee contracts",1065,56000,1121000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae&start=56&end=1121","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682454-ffea13256624414171c8754f2145a6ae/thumbnail_56000.jpg","/articles/6124525/Arkansas/Committee-requires-public-vote-fixed-terms-for-landfill-host-fee-contracts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124525-db23be967a5500acfdda7b242224f26d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775475259&Signature=MxcEBFbeXx9G3ZgiSmu-4HIIk3zKwX33FPQp8HvuDKl3j2pyOg~tBE~1nd0C-LYv9OyMr1~2mxyBBO1GsW52vq5NMLAkq0aZcH1MplILvebJufkPEFymOZcvvgcB2W20PjsgruMEIhVJLozY9XvIYZBUes8RirajtzXzzUKZwB8iQ7foXprTbW5vIoRUC4olB87sOjDCa4qtVsRXFn03qqg20Cfq5vkkZiEXuDiaeH0~7ibome1K2NXAetW7in4Vk5FGlZlrYzDLhOqXv5g8VYIyCMmXCBPltblcQZKxCEEcxjT-sibvQfv~0vs~asNK10SSi2spSXluaEFP~jrrnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted to pass legislation that requires any local contract that establishes a landfill host fee to include a start date and an end date, be approved in a public city council or county meeting, and be renewed at least every four years.

Supporters said the bill does not change the amount of any host fee but aims to eliminate open-ended or informal agreements. “This simply said doesn't change the fee at all. It just says it needs to be voted on at your city council meeting or at your county meeting, and it has to have a start date and end date,” Representative Bluntzer said when explaining the amendment. “It doesn't change anything else but that, but that has become an issue and this fixes that.”

Committee members questioned why state legislation was necessary for what some described as basic contract practice. Representative Richton asked, “why do we need legislation to say that you had a start and end date to a contract?” Bluntzer replied that some agreements had been informal “on the back of the tailgate of the pickup truck,” and that a statutory requirement would require a public vote and mayoral signature rather than informal renewals.

Members also discussed how host fees are used. “The host fee is what a county or city negotiates with the landfill… But what they use that host fee for is their roads and their fire and police, ambulance service,” Bluntzer said, noting that heavy trucks cause road damage and host fees help pay for repairs.

A representative from Waste Management described the company's existing practice in some areas and said the bill would not impose a host fee where none exists. “So right now, we do not have a host fee with Jacksonville. We operate, inside the City Of Jacksonville, the 2 Pine Landfill. If the city of Jacksonville wanted to negotiate with us on a host fee, they could do that,” the Waste Management witness said.

Committee discussion touched on contract length and local negotiation. Some members said longer terms can secure better rates but also create long-term liabilities for road maintenance; proponents said the bill preserves local control because communities may keep existing terms if they choose.

The committee passed the bill as amended. The chair announced, “Ayes have it,” and the presenter was told to proceed with presenting the bill to the next legislative step.

The measure's text, as discussed in committee, requires public approval of host-fee agreements and specifies that agreements expire after four years unless renewed in a public meeting. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.","The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee passed a bill requiring landfill host-fee contracts to include a start and end date, be approved in a public city council or county meeting, and be renewed every four years; supporters said the change is intended to increase transparency, opponents raised concerns about contract flexibility.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves bill letting physician assistants delegate specified clinical tasks to supervised staff

Committee rejects bill requiring four‑year host-community reauthorization for landfill certificates of need

Committee requires public vote, fixed terms for landfill host-fee contracts