Radiologist assistants.

Assembly Member Chen's legislation establishes formal qualifications and practice parameters for radiologist assistants in California, defining their role as advanced-level radiographers working under radiologist supervision. The bill requires radiologist assistants to pass national certification examinations, maintain current registration with recognized credentialing bodies, and hold either California radiologic technology certification or an out-of-state radiologist assistant license.

Under the proposed framework, radiologist assistants must operate as part of radiologist-led teams, with specific limitations on their scope of practice. While they may perform medical imaging procedures and document initial observations, they cannot interpret images, make diagnoses, or prescribe medications independently. The bill permits radiologist assistants to administer prescribed drugs only under direct radiologist oversight and communicate findings solely to their supervising radiologist or, in limited circumstances, relay a radiologist's report to other healthcare providers according to established guidelines.

The legislation preserves existing duties and supervision requirements for radiologic technologists while creating a distinct regulatory structure for radiologist assistants. Supervising radiologists retain authority to delegate appropriate tasks based on the assistant's demonstrated competence. Unlike other provisions of the Radiologic Technology Act, violations of these new requirements would not constitute misdemeanor offenses, though the bill maintains professional standards through certification and registration requirements.