Committee updates medical imaging practice act, moves bill to finance with amendment adding physical therapists
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Summary
The committee approved a substitute for Senate Bill 5 80 to modernize the Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Technology Board's practice standards, transfer oversight of radiologist assistants from the Board of Medicine, and adopt national examination standards; an amendment to add physical therapists to a definitional list was adopted.
The Senate Committee on Government Organization approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 5 80, described by committee counsel as a modernization of the Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Technology Board’s practice act.
Counsel said the substitute would add radiologist assistants to the list of professionals regulated by the Medical Imaging Board, transferring oversight from the Board of Medicine, and would align West Virginia practice standards with national norms recommended by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. The substitute removes references to "moral turpitude" and certain good-character language, adopts the "rational nexus" standard for criminal convictions in West Virginia Code 30-1-24, eliminates temporary six-month licenses and updates scope-of-practice and examination references to recognize national examinations used across states.
Counsel said the board regulates approximately 3,800 licensees and provided a fiscal note estimating a revenue drop of about $2,400 from eliminating temporary permits and certain podiatric medical assistant permits; counsel said that amount is less than 1% of the board’s typical annual operating budget, which counsel estimated at about $375,000.
Senator from Jefferson asked whether the bill would conflict with last year’s universal licensure law; counsel said Article 1 of Chapter 30 governs universal licensure and that the substitute does not conflict. Senator from Logan offered an amendment to add "physical therapist" to the definitional list of licensed practitioners who may order radiologic imaging; counsel confirmed the change and the committee adopted the amendment by voice vote.
Vice Chair moved that SB 5 80 be reported to the full Senate with a do-pass recommendation as amended and, under existing double-reference rules, first be referred to the Committee on Finance; the motion carried and the committee declared the motion adopted. The transcript records voice votes; no roll-call tally was recorded.