Senate panel advances bill allowing nurses to delegate tasks to medical assistants in clinics

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to advance House Bill 327 to the Senate floor with a “do pass” recommendation after hearing from Representative Healy and a public supporter about delegation and supervision of medical assistants in clinic settings.

Representative Healy (R., District 15) said the bill clarifies that advanced practice registered nurses — who often staff provider offices — may oversee medical assistants, a group that historically was tied to physician supervision. “This bill…puts it into code that a nurse can oversee a medical assistant in this setting,” she said, arguing the change reflects current staffing models and helps clinics operate efficiently.

Committee members asked for details about how delegation would work under existing nursing law. Senator Blaylock (D.) and others noted that the nursing statutes (cited in discussion as Chapter 54 and IDAPA nursing rules) already allow delegation of tasks that do not require independent clinical judgment and sought to know why the change was necessary. Representative Healy said medical assistants were not currently called out in the nursing chapter and that the bill is intended to make explicit that a nurse may delegate certain tasks to certified medical assistants, provided the tasks do not involve independent clinical judgment and the nurse maintains supervision.

Senators asked for concrete scenarios and whether the bill might restrict current practice. Representative Healy said the bill intentionally uses limited language so as not to override local clinic delegation lists and to avoid stepping into the detailed “can/cannot” lists some organizations have already established. She said the statute would permit delegation of tasks such as taking vital signs or collecting labs but would not authorize medical assistants to exercise independent clinical judgment.

Robert Vandermeer, a member of the public who identified himself as supportive of the bill, told the committee that nurses routinely delegate tasks and that the bill would align supervision authority with how many small clinics currently operate. Vandermeer noted that medical assistants typically have more training than nurse aides and that federal rules restrict medical assistants from working in nursing facilities, where nurse aides operate under a different federal regime; he testified the bill reflects modern clinic staffing models.

Senator Keiser moved to send House Bill 327 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the motion was seconded by Senator Blaylock. The motion carried on voice vote; no nay votes were recorded in the transcript. The bill will move to the full Senate for further consideration.

The committee distinguished between discussion (questions about scope, supervision, and definitions), direction (clarify statutory language), and the formal committee decision (do-pass recommendation).