Purpose

This bill would create a formal licensure system for anesthesiologist assistants in Minnesota and place oversight with the Board of Medical Practice. It sets rules for how anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) are educated, certified, licensed, supervised, and disciplined, and it outlines their scope of practice, fees, ongoing education, and a new advisory council to guide standards.

Key definitions

• Anesthesiologist assistant (AA): an individual licensed to assist in the practice of medicine under the supervision of a physician.
• Assist: the AA personally performs duties delegated by the supervising physician.
• Collaborative practice agreement: a written plan that defines the working relationship and scope of services between an AA and one or more physicians.
• Immediately available: the supervising physician is close enough to reestablish direct contact and intervene if urgent problems arise.
• Provisional license: a temporary license given while certain licensure steps are completed, valid for up to two years.
• Supervising physician: a physician who delegates, coordinates, consults on, and oversees the AA’s work under the agreement.
• Board: the Board of Medical Practice, or its designee.
• Scope of practice: the range of anesthesia-related tasks an AA may perform, within the limits of the agreement, education, and patient safety standards.
• Protected titles: titles like “Licensed Anesthesiologist Assistant” that require the license to use.

Licensure requirements

• To get a full AA license, an applicant must:
  • Submit an approved application form, pay the required fee, and provide proof of graduating from a CAHEP-accredited anesthesiologist assistant program or equivalent.
  • Show evidence of passing a national certification exam (or an approved alternative).
  • Prove mental and physical ability to practice safely.
  • Confirm the applicant has no current AA license in any state that is revoked, suspended, or placed on probation for cause.
  • Provide any other information the board deems necessary.
• If an applicant cannot meet one requirement, the board may grant a license after remediation and investigation.

Provisional licensure

• The board must grant a provisional AA license to someone who meets most requirements and has taken the certification exam but hasn’t yet received the exam results. The provisional license expires two years after issuance.

Renewal and reinstatement

• A full AA license is valid for one year (unless noted otherwise on a prorated initial license).
• The license expires on the last day of the licensee’s birth month.
• At least 30 days before expiration, the board must send a renewal notice with the renewal form and fees.
• Renewal requires:
  • A renewal application, continuing education (CE) credits, and the renewal fee.
• If renewal is not completed on time, the AA’s name can be removed from the authorized list unless the delay was due to military service or deployment.
• The board can reinstate an otherwise qualified license within 30 days if the renewal failure was due to a renewal deadline issue and not because of misconduct.
• Reinstatement after revocation follows a separate process (two-year waiting period, meeting initial licensure requirements, and showing rehabilitation).

Scope of practice and supervision

• An AA must practice only under physician supervision and within a collaborative practice agreement.
• The supervising physician must be immediately available during anesthesia care.
• Tasks cannot be delegated to others, and the AA’s practice cannot exceed the scope of the AA’s training or the supervising physician’s scope.
• Supervision must align with federal rules for anesthesia reimbursement and ASA guidance for anesthesia care teams.
• The AA must practice in a hospital or integrated clinical setting with the supervising physician(s) who have experience with similar patient conditions.

Specific patient services (scope)

• The AA may:
  • Develop and implement an anesthesia care plan.
  • Gather patient history and perform relevant exams.
  • Conduct preoperative and postoperative evaluations and maintain progress notes.
  • Obtain informed consent for anesthesia.
  • Order and administer preoperative medications, perioperative meds, and medications after surgery (with the supervising physician’s cosign for certain drugs).
  • Co-sign and review orders and medications as needed.
  • Initiate and manage monitoring and anesthesia delivery systems.
  • Perform airway management (including intubation and airway devices) and invasive procedures (like arterial or central lines).
  • Administer general anesthesia and related procedures, regional anesthesia, and monitored anesthesia care.
  • Manage perioperative fluids, blood products, and medications.
  • Initiate perioperative resuscitation and participate in teaching and research activities.
  • Access and obtain prescription drugs for a patient as directed by the supervising physician.

Oversight, discipline, and enforcement

• Anesthesiologist assistants are subject to existing Minnesota medical practice discipline rules.
• Violating the licensure or practice rules is a misdemeanor and can lead to disciplinary action and court-ordered remedies.

Fees and funding

• The board may charge various nonrefundable fees (application, annual renewal, duplicate license, certification letters, program approvals, and record-related fees).
• The initial application fee may be prorated in the first year.
• Revenue from these fees goes to a state government special revenue fund.

Advisory Council

• A five-member Anesthesiologist Assistant Advisory Council is created to advise the board.
  • Members include one public member, three anesthesiologist assistants who meet licensure criteria, and one licensed physician with supervising experience.
• The council assists with licensure standards, discipline enforcement, information distribution, applicant recommendations, and issues related to AA practice and regulation.

Oversight and related professions

• The bill places anesthesiologist assistants under the board’s oversight along with other allied health professions (e.g., physician assistants, midwives, genetic counselors, etc.).

Exemptions

• Some individuals are exempt from licensure if they do not present themselves as an AA and operate within their defined scope (e.g., certain federal employees, students in accredited programs, and other listed categories).

Additional context

• The bill references alignment with national certification standards and ASA guidance for anesthesia care team models, emphasizing patient safety and standardized practice.

Relevant Terms anesthesiologist assistant, licensure, Board of Medical Practice, collaborative practice agreement, supervising physician, immediately available, provisional license, scope of practice, protected titles, exemptions, continuing education, renewal, reinstatement, disciplinary action, misdemeanor, Anesthesiologist Assistant Advisory Council, anesthesia care team, ASA guidance, perioperative, airway management, general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, monitored anesthesia care, cosign, certification exam, CAHEP accreditation, National Certification for Anesthesiologist Assistants, revenue, state special revenue fund.