HB1273: HB1273 Professions and businesses; authorize physician assistants to receive certain delegated authorities from podiatric physicians

Under current Georgia law, physician assistants can be delegated authority to prescribe drugs, order tests, and sign certain documents only by supervising physicians licensed under the medical practice act. Podiatric physicians (foot and leg doctors licensed under Chapter 35 of Title 43) have not had that same ability. This bill amends both the physician assistant law (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 34) and the podiatry practice law (Chapter 35) to let podiatric physicians supervise physician assistants and delegate to them many of the same authorities doctors already delegate, including ordering controlled substances, dangerous drugs, and diagnostic studies, distributing professional samples, and signing certain healthcare documents. The bill adds new definitions such as 'podiatric physician,' 'primary supervising podiatric physician,' and 'alternate supervising podiatric physician,' and gives the State Board of Podiatry Examiners new powers to approve job descriptions, hold hearings, issue private reprimands, and adopt rules. It also requires the podiatry board and the Georgia Composite Medical Board to cooperate on oversight, and says a podiatric physician's delegation authority only takes effect once the physician assistant is licensed by the medical board.

• Amends the definitions in the physician assistant law (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-102) to add terms like 'podiatric physician,' 'primary supervising podiatric physician,' and 'alternate supervising podiatric physician.'
• Allows podiatric physicians, not just physicians, to submit job descriptions to obtain board approval for using a physician assistant (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-103).
• Creates a new Code section (43-35-3.1) letting podiatric physicians delegate authority to physician assistants to order controlled substances, dangerous drugs, and diagnostic studies, and to sign related podiatric healthcare documents.
• Gives the State Board of Podiatry Examiners new authority to approve or reject job descriptions, hold administrative hearings, issue private reprimand letters, and adopt rules governing physician assistants working in podiatry.
• Adds a new Code section (43-35-11.1) making a podiatric physician's delegation authority contingent on the Georgia Composite Medical Board first licensing the physician assistant.
• Requires the State Board of Podiatry Examiners and the Georgia Composite Medical Board to cooperate to ensure public protection and compliance.

The bill affects podiatric physicians, physician assistants who work in podiatry practices, the State Board of Podiatry Examiners, the Georgia Composite Medical Board, and patients who receive foot and leg care. Pharmacists filling prescriptions ordered by physician assistants in podiatry settings are also affected.

If enacted, podiatric practices could use physician assistants the way many medical practices already do, letting them prescribe certain drugs, order tests, and sign paperwork under a podiatric physician's supervision. This could change staffing and patient care in foot and leg clinics across Georgia without physician assistants losing their existing role under regular physicians.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 43-34-102 to define 'podiatric physician,' 'primary supervising podiatric physician,' and related terms alongside existing physician assistant definitions.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 43-34-103 to let podiatric physicians submit applications, job descriptions, and fees for utilizing physician assistants, mirroring the process for physicians.
• Section 9 revises O.C.G.A. § 43-35-3 to add podiatry-specific definitions such as 'physician assistant,' 'primary supervising podiatric physician,' and 'prescription drug order.'
• Section 10 creates new O.C.G.A. § 43-35-3.1, the core provision allowing podiatric physicians to delegate authority to order controlled substances, dangerous drugs, and diagnostic studies to physician assistants.
• Section 10 also authorizes the State Board of Podiatry Examiners to adopt rules setting criteria for podiatric job descriptions and to review or reject those that do not meet the criteria.
• Section 11 creates new O.C.G.A. § 43-35-11.1, stating a podiatric physician's delegation authority is not effective until the Georgia Composite Medical Board has licensed the physician assistant.
• Section 6 revises O.C.G.A. § 43-34-107 to let the State Board of Podiatry Examiners suspend or terminate approval of a physician assistant and issue private reprimand letters.

1. 2026-02-12House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-02-11House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-10House Hopper (House)

• Angie O'Steen (R, HD-169)Primary sponsor
• Gerald Greene (R, HD-154)
• Karen Mathiak (R, HD-082)
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Darlene Taylor (R, HD-173)

• podiatry
• physician assistants
• medical licensing
• prescription authority
• healthcare regulation