Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate advances bill to license limited‑scope radiology technicians for rural providers
Summary
Senate debate on SB 32 centered on creating a licensing pathway for practical radiology technicians to perform limited diagnostic x‑ray procedures in outpatient and rural settings; committee report adopted and sponsors said the bill targets safety and rural access without expanding full 2‑year radiology licensure.
Lawmakers debated how to broaden access to limited radiology services while protecting patient safety, and adopted the committee report on Senate Bill 32.
Senator Stewart described SB 32 as a carefully negotiated framework to license practical radiology technicians for targeted, limited procedures (for example, a single‑position KUB exam) so physicians in rural offices could obtain necessary imaging without requiring a full two‑year radiology license. "Under this bill, the state would be able to certify that the person taking that one x‑ray is capable, trained and tested to take that x‑ray without having to go through an entire two year program," Stewart said.
Questions from senators focused on grandfathering for existing practitioners, whether licensing would trigger separate insurance billing (raising costs), and whether dental X‑rays should be excluded. Sponsors said the licensing and tests would be targeted by scope so dental, podiatry and other specialties could receive tailored tests; some senators proposed working offline on narrow exclusions to avoid forcing broad exemptions for other professions.
The chamber adopted the committee report and carried the motions needed to advance SB 32 for further reading.
