MA S248

Establishes a Board of Registration in Surgical Assistants consisting of 5 governor-appointed members (3 surgical assistants, 1 physician, 1 public member) serving 4-year terms to license and regulate surgical assistants in Massachusetts

Requires surgical facilities to employ only licensed surgical assistants, who must work under direct supervision of a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry

Defines surgical assisting duties to include organ manipulation, tissue suturing, hemostatic agent placement, local anesthetic injection, vein harvesting, and device implementation

Requires licensure through national certification (NBSTSA, NSAA, or NCCSA), military surgical assistant training completion, or at least 1 year of Massachusetts experience with practice prior to July 1, 2023 (registration deadline July 1, 2026)

Mandates 38 hours of continuing education for license renewal, with documentation retained for 4 years, and allows exemptions for temporary disability, military service, or declared disasters