Committee advances bill to license radiology assistants to expand imaging capacity

The committee advanced House Bill 571 as amended; the bill would authorize the Composite Medical Board to license radiology assistants and set practice, supervision and certification rules intended to expand imaging capacity and reduce diagnostic backlogs.

Chairman Hawkins and witnesses said the proposal would allow registered radiologic technologists to undertake an additional two years of training and serve as radiology extenders to perform technical and procedural tasks — not diagnostic interpretation — under the supervision of a radiologist. Becky Riles, representing the Georgia Radiological Society and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, described RAs as a way to "increase the efficiency of imaging studies for patients" and to reduce wait times and backlog in areas with limited radiology capacity.

Riles said the bill would require the Composite Medical Board to promulgate rules on protocol agreements and the maximum number of radiology assistants a radiologist may supervise at one time; testimony indicated a likely cap of three to four assistants per radiologist to reflect workflow and patient-safety concerns. The draft also references supervision levels consistent with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definitions and includes an amendment aligning certification and registration continuity for physician assistants who become radiology practitioner assistants.

Committee members asked about the amendment language and the insertion points; the panel adopted the amendment on the floor and then approved the underlying bill. No registered opponents spoke at the committee.

A motion to adopt the amendment was moved and seconded, and a subsequent voice vote approved the bill as amended. The measure will proceed to the next stage in the legislative process.