MA H327

Establishes a Board of Registration in Surgical Assistants consisting of 5 governor-appointed members (3 surgical assistants, 1 surgeon, 1 public member) serving 4-year terms

Requires surgical facilities to employ only licensed surgical assistants, who must work under direct supervision of a licensed physician (MD, DO, or podiatrist) and perform tasks including organ manipulation, suturing, placing hemostatic agents, and vein harvesting

Licensure requires national certification from recognized bodies (NBSTSA, NSAA, or NCCSA), completion of military surgical assistant training, or at least 1 year of Massachusetts experience with practice prior to July 1, 2023 (if registered by July 1, 2025)

License renewal requires completion of 38 hours of continuing education in surgical assisting, with documentation retained for 4 years and subject to random board audits

Registered nurses and other licensed health care practitioners may continue performing surgical assistant functions within their existing scope of practice without separate licensure