(a) In order to receive authority from the physician assistant’s supervising physician and surgeon to perform an abortion by aspiration techniques pursuant to Section 2253, a physician assistant shall achieve clinical competency by successfully completing requisite training in performing these procedures. The requisite training shall include a clinical and didactic component and be provided by any of the following:

(1) Training programs approved by the board pursuant to Section 3513.

Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 3502.4

  • Board: means the Physician Assistant Board. See California Business and Professions Code 3501
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • license: means license, certificate, registration, or other means to engage in a business or profession regulated by this code or referred to in Section 1000 or 3600. See California Business and Professions Code 23.7
  • Practice agreement: means the writing, developed through collaboration among one or more physicians and surgeons and one or more physician assistants, that defines the medical services the physician assistant is authorized to perform pursuant to Section 3502 and that grants approval for physicians and surgeons on the staff of an organized health care system to supervise one or more physician assistants in the organized health care system. See California Business and Professions Code 3501
  • Regulations: means the rules and regulations as set forth in Division 13. See California Business and Professions Code 3501
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
  • Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15
  • supervising physician and surgeon: means a physician and surgeon licensed by the Medical Board of California or by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California who supervises one or more physician assistants, who possesses a current valid license to practice medicine, and who is not currently on disciplinary probation prohibiting the employment or supervision of a physician assistant. See California Business and Professions Code 3501

(2) Training to perform medical services that augment the physician assistant’s current areas of competency pursuant to Section 1399.543 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations.

(3) A course offered by a state or national health care professional or accreditation organization.

(4) Training based on the competency-based training protocols established by the Health Workforce Pilot Project (HWPP) No. 171 through the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, now known as the Department of Health Care Access and Information.

(5) Training and evaluation of clinical competency, performed at a clinic or hospital, on performing abortion by aspiration techniques that is provided by any of the following who have performed the procedure themselves:

(A) A physician and surgeon.

(B) A nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife authorized to perform abortion by aspiration techniques pursuant to Section 2725.4.

(C) A physician assistant authorized to perform abortion by aspiration techniques pursuant to this section.

(b) A physician assistant who has completed training and achieved clinical competency, as required by this section, and is functioning pursuant to Section 3502 shall be authorized to perform abortions by aspiration techniques pursuant to Section 2253 without the personal presence of a supervising physician and surgeon unless specified by their practice agreement.

(c) A physician assistant shall practice abortion by aspiration techniques pursuant to Section 2253 consistent with applicable standards of care, within the scope of their clinical and professional education and training, and pursuant to their practice agreement.

(d) It is unprofessional conduct for any physician assistant to perform an abortion by aspiration techniques pursuant to Section 2253 without prior completion of training and validation of clinical competency.

(e) A person authorized to perform abortion by aspiration techniques described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) shall not be punished, held liable for damages in a civil action, or denied any right or privilege for any action relating to the evaluation of clinical competency of a physician assistant pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a).

(f) This section shall not be interpreted to authorize a person with a license or certificate to practice as a physician assistant to perform abortion by aspiration techniques after the first trimester of pregnancy.

(g) For purposes of this section, exclusively online or simulation-based training programs that do not include mandatory clinical hours involving direct patient care shall not meet the clinical training requirements in subdivision (a).

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 178, Sec. 1. (SB 385) Effective January 1, 2024.)

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