Senator Wachtmann provided sponsor testimony on the Physician Assistants bill - SB 147 - a bill regarding the practice of physician assistants, including the establishment of physician-delegated prescriptive authority. Wachtmann said there would be a positive impact on the quality of patient care by allowing supervising physicians, at their discretion; to delegate increased responsibilities to PA's by allowing prescriptive authority. He noted the bill would institute additional educational requirements for PA's including the requirement of a master's degree from an accredited program with "clinical relevance" to the practice of physician assistants. Mr. Wachtmann said the bill would not make a change of the status of a physician assistant as a dependent practitioner. In addition to the prescriptive authority, the bill would permit physician assistants to see new patients or existing patients who show a new condition. The AMC/NOMA legislative committee is currently evaluating this legislation and will take a position on the legislation in the next month.