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Senate adds podiatry assistants to limited radiology‑licensure exemptions
Summary
Senate Bill 4 would exempt supervised podiatry assistants from annual radiology licensure for limited, low‑level three‑view foot x‑rays; sponsor said training will be provided by the podiatry board and the bill passed on third reading with 27 ayes.
Senate Bill 4, introduced by Senator Hall, would extend existing limited radiology‑licensure exemptions (similar to those for dental assistants) to podiatry assistants performing a small, focused set of low‑level x‑ray views of the foot.
Hall said the procedures are limited to three views, involve very low radiation, and that podiatry assistants will be trained and supervised under a podiatry board course. He said, citing board practice, practitioners wear exposure tags and routine monitoring has shown no recorded overexposure.
Senator Mielstein asked whether radiation levels are comparable to dental x‑rays; Hall responded that he was not an expert but pointed to the board testimony that monitoring devices did not register over‑exposure and that the procedures are limited in scope.
Members discussed whether the statute should explicitly require "direct supervision." Hall said the committee believed adding the word might be superfluous because the practice will be under direct supervision, but he indicated he would accept an amendment to add the language on third reading if colleagues preferred.
The Senate called the question on third reading and passed SB4 with 27 ayes and no nays. The bill advances on the third‑reading calendar.
No specific budgetary impacts were discussed in the floor remarks.
