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Physician‑assistant compact backed as a tool to improve cross‑state access and telehealth continuity
Summary
Physician assistants and professional groups urged passage of HB 6835 to adopt the interstate physician‑assistant licensure compact, saying mutual recognition would speed cross‑border practice, ease licensing delays and help virtual care delivery in multi‑state health systems.
Physician assistants and state PA organizations asked the Public Health Committee to adopt the interstate Physician Assistant Licensure Compact (HB 6835), which would let a PA licensed in one compact state obtain a compact privilege to practice in other member states quickly rather than undergoing full, separate licensing in each state.
Physician assistant leaders said 13 states have enacted the compact and many more are considering it. They described benefits for cross‑state practice inside hospital systems, for virtual care (telehealth) and to reduce administrative delays when urgent staffing is needed across borders. Jason Privilege, representing the Connecticut Academy of Physician Associates and the American Academy of Physician Associates, said a compact privilege can be obtained in days or hours instead of months and that the compact preserves state practice standards and state oversight while improving access.
Physician representatives also urged that other pending bills (for example, Medicaid/DMHAS changes and substance‑use treatment access bills) explicitly include PAs and APRNs where statutes confer roles to physicians, to avoid gaps in operational implementation. The committee did not vote and asked for technical drafting to ensure statutory cross‑references and scope are correct.
