Texas lawmakers have proposed legislation that would empower the Texas Medical Board to license and regulate anesthesiologist assistants.

The identical bills proposed in the state House and Senate would require AAs, who are already permitted to practice in Texas but are not currently regulated by the government, to seek licensure before they can practice.

Paul McHorse, AA, president of the Texas Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants, says the legislation is "just a matter of good public policy" and, if passed, can serve as "a public policy precedent" for other states looking to expand their anesthesia provider options with AAs. State legislators in Maryland, for example, are currently considering similar legislation to license and regulate AAs in response to a shortage of anesthesia providers there.

—Irene Tsikitas