North Carolina § 90-9 - 3. Requirements for licensure as a physician assistant.

§ 90-9. 3. Requirements for licensure as a physician assistant.

To be eligible for licensure as a physician assistant, an applicant shall submit proof satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has met all of the following: The applicant has successfully completed an educational program for physician assistants or surgeon assistants accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or its predecessor or successor entities. The applicant has a current or previous certification issued by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or its successor. The applicant is of good moral character. Before initiating practice of medical acts, tasks, or functions as a physician assistant, the physician assistant shall provide the Board the name, address, and telephone number of the physician who will supervise the physician assistant in the relevant medical setting. The Board may, by rule, require an applicant to comply with other requirements or submit additional information the Board deems appropriate. History (2007-346, s. 9; 2019-191, s. 13.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2020-3, s. 3A.1(a), provides: "Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following definitions apply in this Part: "(1) CDC. - The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "(2) COVID-19. - Coronavirus disease 2019. "(3) COVID-19 diagnostic test. - A test the federal Food and Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use or approved to detect the presence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. "(4) COVID-19 emergency. - The period beginning March 10, 2020, and ending on the date the Governor signs an executive order rescinding Executive Order No. 116, Declaration of a State of Emergency to Coordinate Response and Protective Actions to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19. "(5) COVID-19 antibody test. - A serological blood test the federal Food and Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use or approved to measure the amount of antibodies or proteins present in the blood when the body is responding to an infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 3D.5(a)-(e), as amended by Session Laws 2021-3, s. 2.17, provides: "(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: "(1) Quality improvement plan rules. - The rules regulating the quality improvement process for physician assistants and nurse practitioners found in 21 NCAC 32S.0213, 21 NCAC 32M.0110, and 21 NCAC 36.0810. "(2) Application fee rules. - The portions of rules found in 21 NCAC 32S.0204, 21 NCAC 32M.0115, and 21 NCAC 36.0813 that require the payment of an application fee. "(3) Annual review rules. - The portions of rules requiring the annual review or renewal of a practice arrangement between a physician and a physician assistant or nurse practitioner found in 21 NCAC 32S.0201, 21 NCAC 32M.0110, and 21 NCAC 36.0806. "(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, neither the North Carolina Medical Board nor the North Carolina Board of Nursing shall enforce any provision of the quality improvement plan rules to the extent they require any of the following: "(1) Quality improvement process meetings between a physician and a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, provided that the physician assistant or nurse practitioner was practicing within the scope of his or her license prior to February 1, 2020, and continues to practice within the scope of his or her license while this section is effective. "(2) Monthly quality improvement process meetings between a physician and a physician assistant or nurse practitioner during the first six months of the practice arrangement between the physician and the physician assistant or nurse practitioner. "(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, neither the North Carolina Medical Board nor the North Carolina Board of Nursing shall enforce any provision of the quality improvement plan rules or the application fee rules to the extent they require any individual to fill out an application or pay a fee, provided that individual is providing volunteer health care services within the scope of his or her license in response to the COVID-19 pandemic state of emergency declared by the Governor of North Carolina on March 10, 2020. "(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, neither the North Carolina Medical Board nor the North Carolina Board of Nursing shall enforce any provision of the annual review rules. "(e) This section is effective when it becomes law and expires December 31, 2022." Session Laws 2020-3, s. 5, is a severability clause. Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2019-191, s. 13, effective October 1, 2019, rewrote subsection (a); and deleted the former second sentence of subsection (c), which read: "The Board may set fees for physician assistants pursuant to rules adopted by the Board.".