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House advances bill allowing physician assistants to perform first psychiatric emergency certification
Summary
The House advanced H573, a committee-backed bill that would permit physician assistants (PAs), alongside physicians and APRNs, to complete the "first certification" for emergency mental-health examinations after department-approved training; supporters said the change is a workflow fix to address emergency-department boarding delays while retaining a mandatory 24-hour psychiatrist review.
Representative Rebecca, speaking for the House committee on healthcare, summarized H573 — an effort to align statute with modern emergency-department practice by adding physician assistants to the list of clinicians eligible to complete the "first certification" for emergency mental-health examinations after completing a department-developed training. "This is a workflow adjustment. It doesn't expand detention authority," she said, stressing the bill preserves the mandatory psychiatrist independent review within 24 hours and existing notice and least-restrictive-care safeguards.
The committee presented the change as a targeted measure to reduce avoidable delays in emergency departments. Representative Rebecca cited data in committee testimony showing more than 10,500 emergency-department boarding days since 2022 for individuals waiting for inpatient mental-health care, saying those delays "are destabilizing for people who need care, strain emergency room staff and limit access for other emergency care needs." She said the bill does not alter the definition of a person in need of treatment, extend hold times, remove judicial oversight, or change notice-of-rights protections.
On the floor, the member from Northfield voiced support and emphasized the statute applies narrowly to involuntary holds where liberty interests are at stake. He noted the committee narrowed application of certain provisions and placed training requirements directly in statute so all eligible clinicians (physicians, APRNs and PAs) would complete the same department-administered training before issuing a certification.
The House voted to amend the bill as recommended by the committee and ordered the bill read a third time. The amendment and the procedural advancement were approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
Next steps: H573 was amended as recommended and is ordered for third reading per the House calendar.
