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PRINTER'S NO. 395
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
358
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY READSHAW, D. COSTA, KORTZ, COHEN AND THOMAS,
FEBRUARY 9, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
FEBRUARY 9, 2015
AN ACT
Regulating medical physicists; establishing the State Board of
Medical Physicists; providing for funds, for licensure, for
disciplinary action, for remedies, for penalties and for
preemption.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
finds and declares as follows:
The practice of medical physics by unqualified individuals is
a threat to public health and safety. It is, therefore, the
responsibility of the Commonwealth to protect public health and
safety from the harmful effects of excessive and unnecessary
radiation by ensuring that the practice of medical physics is
entrusted only to individuals licensed under this act.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Medical
Physicists Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
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The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Account." The Professional Licensure Augmentation Account.
"Applicant." An individual who applies for a license.
"Board." The State Board of Medical Physicists.
"Bureau." The Bureau of Professional and Occupational
Affairs.
"Clinical." Activities directly relating to the treatment or
diagnosis of human ailments.
"Commissioner." The Commissioner of Professional and
Occupational Affairs.
"Conviction." A judgment of guilt, an admission of guilt or
a plea of nolo contendere.
"Department." The Department of State of the Commonwealth.
"Diagnostic radiological physics." The branch of medical
physics relating to the diagnostic applications of x-rays, gamma
rays from sealed sources, ultrasonic radiation, radio frequency
radiation and magnetic fields; the equipment associated with
their production, use, measurement and evaluation; and the
quality of images resulting from their production and the use of
medical health physics associated with this subfield.
"License." A license to practice medical physics under this
act.
"Licensee." An individual who holds a license to practice
medical physics.
"Medical health physics." The branch of medical physics
pertaining to the safe use of x-rays, gamma rays, electron and
other charged particle beams or neutrons or radionuclides and of
radiation from sealed and unsealed radionuclide sources for
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diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and the instrumentation
required to perform appropriate radiation surveys.
"Medical nuclear physics." The branch of medical physics
pertaining to the therapeutic and diagnostic applications of
radionuclides, except those used in sealed sources for
therapeutic purposes; the equipments associated with their
production, use, measurement and evaluation; and the quality of
the images resulting from their production and use and the
medical health physics associated with this subfield.
"Medical physics." The branch of physics that is associated
with the practice of medicine.
"Practice of medical physics." The use of principles and
accepted protocols of physics to provide the quality, quantity
and placement of radiation during the performance of a
radiological procedure.
"Radiation." Ionizing or nonionizing radiation above
background levels which is used to perform a diagnostic or
therapeutic medical or dental radiological procedure.
"Radiological physics." Diagnostic radiological physics,
therapeutic radiological physics or radiation oncology physics,
medical nuclear physics and medical health physics.
"Radiological procedure." A test, measurement, calculation
or radiation exposure used in the diagnosis or treatment of
disease or other medical or dental conditions in human beings
that includes therapeutic radiation, diagnostic radiation,
nuclear magnetic resonance or nuclear medicine procedures.
"Specialty" or "special area." The following branch or
branches of special competence within medical physics:
diagnostic radiological physics, medical health physics, medical
nuclear physics, radiation oncology physics and therapeutic
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radiological physics.
"Therapeutic radiological physics" or "radiation oncology
physics." The branch of medical physics relating to the
therapeutic applications of x-rays, gamma rays, electron and
charged particle beams, neutrons and radiations from sealed
radionuclide sources; the equipment associated with their
production, use, measurement, and evaluation; the quality of
images resulting from their production and use; and the medical
health physics associated with this subfield.
Section 3. Board.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the State Board of
Medical Physicists, an administrative board within the
department. The board shall consist of 11 members who are
citizens of the United States and who have been residents of
this Commonwealth for at least a five-year period prior to the
effective date of this section. The board shall be composed of
the following individuals:
(1) One member who is a member of the public.
(2) Four members who meet the educational and experience
qualifications for licensure under section 5. One member
shall be from each of the following specialties:
(i) Diagnostic radiological physics.
(ii) Therapeutic radiological or radiation oncology
physics.
(iii) Medical nuclear physics.
(iv) Medical health physics.
(3) Three members shall be licensed physicians
represented by each of the following specialties:
(i) Diagnostic radiology.
(ii) Radiation therapy or radiation oncology.
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(iii) Nuclear medicine.
(4) The Secretary of Health or a designee.
(5) The Attorney General or a designee.
(6) The commissioner or a designee.
(b) Term of office.--Except as provided in subsection (c),
the members of the board shall serve for four-year terms and
shall be appointed by the Governor by and with the advice and
consent of a majority of the members elected to the Senate.
(c) Initial appointments.--Within 180 days of the effective
date of this section, the Governor shall nominate two
professional members to serve four-year terms, one public member
and one professional member to serve three-year terms, one
professional member to serve two-year terms and one professional
member to serve a one-year term. A professional member initially
appointed to the board under this act need not be licensed by
the Commonwealth at the time of appointment, but at the time of
appointment must have satisfied the eligibility requirements for
licensure and must have practiced medical physics for five
consecutive years or more immediately preceding the appointment.
(d) Continuation in office.--Each board member shall
continue in office until a successor is appointed and qualified
but no longer than six months after the expiration of the term.
If a board member shall die, resign or otherwise become
disqualified during the term of office, a successor shall be
appointed in the same way and with the same qualifications as
set forth in this section and shall hold office for the
unexpired portion of the term.
(e) Limit on terms.--No board member shall be eligible for
reappointment to serve more than two consecutive four-year
terms.
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(f) Forfeiture of membership.--A professional or public
member who fails to attend three meetings in 18 months shall
forfeit the member's seat unless the commissioner, upon written
request from the member, finds that the member should be excused
from a meeting because of illness or death of a family member.
(g) Compensation.--A member of the board, except the
commissioner, shall receive per diem compensation at the rate of
$60 when actually attending to the work of the board. Members
shall also receive reasonable traveling, hotel and other
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties
in accordance with regulations.
(h) Forfeiture for nonattendance.--A public member who fails
to attend two consecutive statutorily mandated conferences in
accordance with section 813(e) of the act of April 9, 1929
(P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929,
shall forfeit the public member's seat unless the commissioner,
upon written request from the public member, finds that the
public member should be excused from a meeting because of
illness or the death of a family member.
(i) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the board shall
constitute a quorum for the purposes of conducting the business
of the board. Except for temporary and automatic suspensions
under section 9(d), a member may not be counted as part of a
quorum or vote on any issue unless the member is physically in
attendance at the meeting.
(j) Chairperson.--The board shall annually select a
chairperson from among its members.
(k) Meetings.--The board shall meet at least four times a
year in Harrisburg and at other times and places as the board
shall determine is necessary to conduct board business.
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(l) Operating procedures.--The board shall meet within 30
days after the appointment of its initial members and shall
institute operating procedures and an application form for
licensing medical physicists. It shall be the responsibility of
the board to educate the public as to the requirements of
licensing in order to hold oneself out or to practice as a
licensed medical physicist within this Commonwealth.
Section 4. Powers and duties of board.
The board has the following powers and duties:
(1) To pass upon the qualifications and fitness of
applicants for licenses and reciprocal licenses.
(2) To promulgate regulations not inconsistent with this
act and only as necessary to carry out this act.
(3) To examine, deny, approve, issue, revoke, suspend or
renew licenses of medical physicists under this act and to
conduct hearings in connection with those powers and duties.
(4) To submit annually a report to the Consumer
Protection and Professional Licensure Committee of the Senate
and the Professional Licensure Committee of the House of
Representatives containing a description of the types of
complaints received, status of the cases, board action which
has been taken and length of time from the initial complaint
to final board resolution.
(5) To submit annually to the Appropriations Committee
of the Senate and the Appropriations Committee of the House
of Representatives, within 15 days after the Governor has
submitted a budget to the General Assembly, a copy of the
budget request for the upcoming fiscal year which the board
previously submitted to the department.
(6) To establish standards of eligibility for license
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renewal. These standards shall include, but not be limited
to, the demonstration of satisfactory completion of
continuing education related to the practice of medical
physics in accordance with board regulations. No credit may
be given for courses in office management or practice
building. The board may waive all or part of the continuing
education requirement to a licensee who shows to the
satisfaction of the board that the licensee was unable to
complete the requirement due to illness, emergency or
hardship.
Section 5. Qualification for licensure.
(a) Applicants.--An applicant shall be considered to be
qualified for a license if the applicant submits proof
satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
(1) The applicant is of good moral character.
(2) The applicant has completed a graduate degree from
an accredited college or university in accordance with
regulations developed by the board.
(3) The applicant has passed an examination under
section 7.
(4) The applicant has paid a fee as established by the
board by regulation.
(5) The applicant has not been convicted of a felony
under the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as
The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, or
of an offense under the laws of another jurisdiction which,
if committed in this Commonwealth, would be a felony under
The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act,
unless the following apply:
(i) At least 10 years have elapsed from the date of
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conviction.
(ii) The applicant satisfactorily demonstrates to
the board that the applicant has made significant
progress in personal rehabilitation since the conviction
and that licensure of the applicant should not be
expected to create a substantial risk of harm to the
health and safety of the applicant's clients or the
public or a substantial risk of further criminal
violations.
(iii) The applicant otherwise satisfies the
qualifications required under this act.
(b) Waiver of standardized examination.---
(1) The board may promulgate regulations that allow for
an individual to receive a license in a specialty without
taking the standardized examination so long as the
individual:
(i) Meets all other requirements for the license.
(ii) Has graduated from:
(A) an approved bachelor's degree program and
has a total of 15 years of full-time work experience
in the specialty field; or
(B) an approved master's or doctoral degree
program and has a total of two years of full-time
work experience in the past seven years and one year
of full-time work experience in the past 10 years in
the specialty field.
(2) This waiver shall only be granted within two years
of the effective date of this act.
(c) Temporary practice permit.--
(1) The board may issue a temporary practice permit to
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an applicant before the applicant has received board
certification by a national certifying board in the field of
medical physics recognized by the board, or to an applicant
currently enrolled in an approved graduate or postgraduate
program for medical physics.
(2) The temporary practice permit issued under paragraph
(1) shall be renewable at the discretion of the board and
shall expire on the earlier of:
(i) two years from the date of issuance; or
(ii) the date the applicant fails the licensing
examination.
(3) The board may issue a temporary practice permit to
an applicant licensed in a specialty of medical physics who
is in good standing for two years in another jurisdiction
that has licensing requirements that are substantially
equivalent to this act as determined by the board if the
applicant has also:
(i) Passed a national or other examination
recognized by the board relating to the specialty of
medical physics.
(ii) Is sponsored by a person licensed under this
act with whom the professional license holder will
practice during the time the applicant holds a temporary
license.
(4) The temporary practice permit shall only authorize
the holder to practice medical physics under the direct
supervision of a licensed medical physicist and only in the
specialty of the licensed medical physicist.
(5) Medical physics experience obtained in this
Commonwealth credited to the experience requirement for
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licensure must be obtained under a temporary license.
(d) Transferability.--A license and a temporary practice
permit are not transferable.
Section 6. Biennial renewal of license.
(a) Duration of license.--A license shall be valid for two
years. The expiration date shall be established by regulation of
the board. Application for renewal of a license shall be
forwarded to an individual holding a current license prior to
the expiration date of the current renewal.
(b) Procedure.--To renew a license, a licensee must do all
of the following:
(1) File a renewal application with the board which
includes certification of successful completion of continuing
education in the field of medical physics during the
immediately preceding two years as required by the board.
Certification of continuing education credit hours submitted
by the medical physicist shall be properly signed by the
medical physicist as being correct and true.
(2) Pay a fee established by regulation of the board.
(c) Inactive status.--Any person licensed under this act may
request an application for inactive status. The application may
be completed and returned to the board. Upon receipt of each
application, the applicant shall be maintained on inactive
status without fee and shall be entitled to apply for an active
license at any time. An application to reactivate a license
which has been placed on inactive status for less than five
years shall be accompanied by a verification of nonpractice, the
renewal fee and documentation evidencing the satisfactory
completion of the continuing education requirement for the
preceding biennial period. Any person who requests an active
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status license who has been on inactive status for a period of
five consecutive years or longer shall, prior to receiving an
active license, satisfy the requirements of the board's
regulations for ensuring continued competence and remit the
required fee. A person shall not be denied active status as a
result of any increased educational requirements for licensure
since the time he or she received his or her original license.
(d) Reporting of multiple licensure.--A licensee who is
licensed to practice medical physics in another jurisdiction
shall report this information to the board on the license
renewal application. Any disciplinary action taken in another
jurisdiction shall be reported to the board on the license
renewal application or within 90 days of final disposition,
whichever is sooner. Multiple licensure in other states shall be
noted by the board on the licensee's record, and the other
licensing jurisdiction shall be notified by the board of any
disciplinary actions taken against the licensee in this
Commonwealth.
Section 7. Examinations.
The board shall require an applicant to have passed a
national or other examination in the field of medical physics
recognized by the board.
Section 8. Reciprocity.
The board has the power to grant a reciprocal license without
further examination to an applicant who is licensed or certified
as a medical physicist or similar practice in another state and
has demonstrated qualifications which equal or exceed those
required under this act in the determination of the board. No
license shall be granted under this section to an applicant
unless the state in which the applicant is licensed affords
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reciprocal treatment to individuals who are residents of this
Commonwealth and who are licensed under this act.
Section 9. Refusal, suspension and revocation of licenses.
(a) Grounds.--The board may refuse, suspend, revoke, limit
or restrict a license or discipline a licensee for any of the
following:
(1) Being convicted under Federal law, under the law of
any state or under the law of another jurisdiction of a crime
of moral turpitude or of an offense which, if committed in
this Commonwealth, would constitute a felony.
(2) Being found to have engaged in immoral or
unprofessional conduct. In proceedings based on this
paragraph, actual injury to the client need not be
established. As used in this paragraph, the term
"unprofessional conduct" includes a departure from or failure
to conform to the standards of acceptable and prevailing
practice.
(3) Violating standards of professional practice or
conduct as established by board regulation.
(4) Presenting false credentials or documents or making
a false statement of fact in support of the individual's
application for a license.
(5) Submitting a false or deceptive license renewal to
the board.
(6) Having a license suspended, revoked or refused or
receiving other disciplinary action by the proper licensing
authority of another jurisdiction.
(7) Violating a regulation promulgated by the board or
violating an order of the board previously entered in a
disciplinary proceeding.
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(8) Incompetence, negligence or misconduct in carrying
out the practice of medical physics.
(9) Practicing beyond the licensee's defined scope of
practice.
(10) Knowingly aiding, assisting, hiring or advising
someone in the unlawful practice of medical physics.
(11) Being unable to practice with reasonable skill and
safety by reason of illness, drunkenness, use of drugs,
narcotics, chemicals or any other type of material or as a
result of any mental or physical condition. In enforcing this
paragraph, the board, upon probable cause, has authority to
compel a licensee to submit to a mental or physical
examination by a physician approved by the board. Failure of
a licensee to submit to an examination when directed by the
board, unless the failure is due to circumstances beyond the
licensee's control, may result in a default and final order
entered against the licensee without the taking of testimony
or presentation of evidence. A licensee affected under this
paragraph shall be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate
that the licensee can resume competent practice with
reasonable skill and safety.
(b) Board action.--If the board finds that the license or
application for license may be refused, revoked, restricted or
suspended under the terms of subsection (a), the board may do
any of the following:
(1) Deny the application for a license.
(2) Administer a public reprimand.
(3) Revoke, suspend, limit or otherwise restrict a
license.
(4) Require a licensee to submit to the care, counseling
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or treatment of a physician.
(5) Suspend enforcement of its findings and place a
licensee on probation with the right to vacate the
probationary order for noncompliance.
(6) Restore a suspended license and impose any
disciplinary or corrective measure which it might originally
have imposed.
(c) Administrative Agency Law.--Actions of the board under
subsections (a) and (b) are subject to 2 Pa.C.S. Chs. 5 Subch. A
(relating to practice and procedure of Commonwealth agencies)
and 7 Subch. A (relating to judicial review of Commonwealth
agency action).
(d) Temporary and automatic suspension.--A license issued
under this act shall be temporarily suspended under
circumstances determined by the board to be an immediate and
clear danger to the public health and safety. The board shall
issue an order to that effect without a hearing, but upon due
notice, to the licensee concerned at his or her last known
address, which shall include a written statement of all
allegations against the licensee. The provisions of subsection
(c) shall not apply to temporary suspension. The board shall
thereupon commence formal action to suspend, revoke or restrict
the license of the person concerned as otherwise provided for in
this act. All actions shall be taken promptly and without delay.
Within 30 days following the issuance of an order temporarily
suspending a license, the board shall conduct or cause to be
conducted a preliminary hearing to determine that there is a
prima facie case supporting the suspension. The licensee whose
license has been temporarily suspended may be present at the
preliminary hearing and may be represented by counsel, cross-
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examine witnesses, inspect physical evidence, call witnesses,
offer evidence and testimony and make a record of the
proceedings. If it is determined that there is not a prima facie
case, the suspended license shall be immediately restored. The
temporary suspension shall remain in effect until vacated by the
board, but in no event longer than 180 days.
Section 10. Reinstatement of license.
Unless ordered to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction,
the board shall not reinstate a license which has been revoked.
An individual whose license has been revoked may reapply for a
license after a period of at least five years, except for a
period of at least 10 years if the license was revoked because
the license holder was convicted of a felony as described in
section 5(a)(5) and must meet all of the licensing requirements
of this act.
Section 11. Setting of fees and disposition of fees, fines and
civil penalties.
(a) Setting of fees.--All fees required under this act shall
be fixed by the board by regulation and shall be subject to the
act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory
Review Act. If the revenues raised by the fees, fines and civil
penalties imposed under this act are not sufficient to meet
expenditures over a two-year period, the board shall increase
those fees by regulation so that projected revenues will meet or
exceed projected expenditures.
(b) Fee increase.--If the bureau determines that the fees
established by the board under subsection (a) are inadequate to
meet the minimum enforcement efforts required by this act, then
the bureau, after consultation with the board and subject to the
Regulatory Review Act, shall increase the fees by regulation in
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an amount that adequate revenues are raised to meet the required
enforcement effort.
(c) Disposition of fees, fines and civil penalties.--All
fees, fines and civil penalties imposed in accordance with this
act shall be paid into the Professional Licensure Augmentation
Account.
(d) Fees permitted.--The board may charge a fee, as set by
the board by regulation, for all examinations, registrations,
renewals, certifications, licenses or applications permitted by
this act or regulations under this act.
Section 12. Public access to list of licensees.
The board shall maintain a current list of any person
licensed with the board. The list shall be posted on the board's
Internet website and shall be subject to the act of February 14,
2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.
Section 13. Other professions.
Nothing in this act shall be construed as preventing,
restricting or requiring licensure of any of the following
activities:
(1) The practice of a profession by an individual who is
licensed, certified or registered by a Commonwealth agency
under other law and who is performing services or advertising
within the authorized scope of practice.
(2) The practice of medical physics by an individual
employed by the Federal Government while the individual is
engaged in the performance of duties under Federal law.
(3) A student enrolled in an approved medical physics
education program who is:
(i) conducting medical physics activities under the
supervision of:
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(A) a licensee; or
(B) instructors or supervisors who meet the
licensing criteria of the Department of Education or
the board; and
(ii) enrolled in a school approved by the Department
of Education or by the board.
Section 14. Unlawful practice.
(a) General rule.--Except as set forth in section 13(1) and
(2), an individual may not practice medical physics or hold
oneself out as a medical physicist unless licensed by the board.
(b) Title.--Only an individual licensed under this act shall
use the title "licensed medical physicist."
(c) Employment.--An individual, corporation, partnership,
firm or other entity may not employ an individual in medical
physics unless the individual is licensed by the board.
(d) Terminology.--Except as set forth in section 13(1), a
business entity may not utilize in connection with a business
name or activity any derivative of the terms and their related
abbreviations which implies directly or indirectly that medical
physics services are being provided, unless services of the
business are provided by licensees. The board shall promulgate
regulations on this subsection.
(e) Injunction.--It shall be unlawful for any person to
practice or attempt to offer to practice medical physics as
defined in this act without having, at the time of so doing, a
valid, unexpired, unrevoked and unsuspended license issued under
this act. The unlawful practice may be enjoined by the courts on
petition of the board or the commissioner. In any such
proceeding, it shall not be necessary to show that any person is
individually injured by the actions complained of. If it is
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determined that the respondent has engaged in the unlawful
practice, the court shall enjoin the respondent from so
practicing unless and until the respondent has been duly
licensed. Procedure in such cases shall be the same as in any
other injunction suit. The remedy by injunction hereby given is
in addition to any other civil or criminal prosecution and
punishment.
(f) Remedy cumulative.--The injunctive remedy provided in
this section shall be in addition to any other civil or criminal
prosecution and punishment.
Section 15. Violation of act.
(a) General rule.--Notwithstanding any law to the contrary,
a person that violates a provision of this act commits a
misdemeanor of the third degree and shall, upon conviction, be
sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 or to
imprisonment for not more than six months for the first
violation and to pay a fine of not more than $2,000 or to
imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than one
year, or both, for each subsequent violation.
(b) Civil penalty.--In addition to any other civil remedy or
criminal penalty provided for in this act, the board, by a vote
of the majority of the maximum number of the authorized
membership of the board or by a vote of the majority of the
qualified and confirmed membership or a minimum of five members,
whichever is greater, may levy a civil penalty of up to $10,000
on any of the following:
(1) A medical physicist who violates a provision of this
act.
(2) A person that employs a medical physicist in
violation of this act.
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(3) An individual who holds himself out as a licensee
without being properly licensed as provided in this act.
(4) The responsible officers or employees of a
corporation, partnership, firm or other entity that violates
a provision of this act.
(c) Assessment of costs of investigation.--The board may
assess against the respondent in a disciplinary action under
this act, as part of the sanction, the cost of investigation
underlying that disciplinary action.
(d) Administrative Agency Law.--Action of the board under
subsection (b) is subject to 2 Pa.C.S. Chs. 5 Subch. A (relating
to practice and procedure of Commonwealth agencies) and 7 Subch.
A (relating to judicial review of Commonwealth agency action).
Section 16. Preemption.
This act shall preempt and supersede any ordinance relating
to the licensure or regulation of medical physics by a political
subdivision in effect on the effective date of this section.
Section 17. Effect of licensure.
Licensure under this act shall not be construed as requiring
new or additional third-party reimbursement or otherwise
mandating coverage under 75 Pa.C.S. Ch. 17 (relating to
financial responsibility) or the act of June 2, 1915 (P.L.736,
No.338), known as the Workers' Compensation Act.
Section 18. Exemptions.
Nothing in this article shall be construed to:
(1) Affect, prevent or in any manner expand or limit the
authority of any person otherwise authorized by law or
regulation to practice any function of a medical physicist,
or any department or agency authorized by law or regulation
to regulate the use of radiation.
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(2) Prohibit the repair of calibration of any test
equipment used by licensed medical physicists by any person
otherwise allowed to do so under Federal or State law.
(3) Serve to limit radiological or imaging technologists
or any individual otherwise authorized by law or regulation
from performing quality control measurements or obtaining
quality control data under the supervision of a licensed
medical physicist.
(4) Serve to limit a service engineer in the repair of
radiation-producing equipment or an installation engineer in
the installation of radiation-producing equipment.
Section 19. Funding.
Funds necessary for the payment of costs associated with
processing licenses and renewing licenses, for the operation of
the board and for other costs associated with this act shall be
transferred from the Professional Licensure Augmentation Account
to the department. The transferred funds shall be repaid by the
board to the account within three years of the beginning of
issuance of licenses by the State Board of Medical Physicists.
Section 20. Regulations.
The board shall promulgate regulations to carry out this act.
Publication of the final-form regulations under this section
shall take place within 18 months of the effective date of this
section. The board shall report, within 180 days of the
effective date of this section, and every 30 days thereafter, on
the status of the regulations to the Consumer Protection and
Professional Licensure Committee of the Senate and the
Professional Licensure Committee of the House of
Representatives.
Section 21. Effective date.
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This act shall take effect as follows:
(1) The following provisions shall take effect
immediately:
(i) Sections 3, 4 and 20.
(ii) This section.
(2) The remainder of this act shall take effect in two
years.
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