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he Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering companion legislation, H.2531 and S.1608, that would authorize the Commonwealth to join the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact (PA Compact). The PA Compact is an occupational licensure compact that grants physician assistants (PAs) in member states the ability to practice in other member states through a compact privilege.
Proposed Law
The bills adopt the compact's model legislation governing, among other things, requirements for member states participating in the compact, qualifications for member-state PAs seeking to exercise the compact privilege, the procedure through which the compact privilege is exercised, and the authority of member states to take adverse action against PAs licensed by their state or authorized to practice in their state pursuant to the compact privilege.
PAs licensed by a member state and meeting defined qualifications can apply to the Compact Commission, a joint governmental administrative body made up of delegates from each member state, for permission to practice in another member state through the compact privilege. All member states are required to grant privileges to qualified member-state PAs. PAs practicing in another member state through the compact privilege must abide with that state's laws and regulations and must satisfy any applicable requirements for obtaining authority to prescribe controlled substances in that member state.
Though the legislation would provide PAs significant licensure mobility, it would also delegate substantial authority to the Compact Commission, which is empowered to adopt rules with the force and effect of law in each member state. Importantly, individual member states retain sole authority to take adverse action against PA licenses they issued and are authorized to take adverse action against PAs practicing under the compact privilege within their state.
Some of the key arguments in support of the PA Compact include 1) expanding workforce opportunities for PAs, 2) improving continuity of care for patients when patients or providers relocate, 3) facilitating cross-state board collaboration on PA licensure investigations and 4) enhancing practitioner mobility (e.g., during a public health emergency).
Proposed Bills in Context
Though joining the PA Compact is a question of first impression for Massachusetts, 19 other states, including Maine and Connecticut, have already joined, and 8 other states have pending legislation.1 This legislative action comes roughly a year after Massachusetts joined the Nurse Licensure Compact2 and coincides with the legislature's consideration of bills that would authorize the Commonwealth to join similar compacts for physicians and other medical professionals.3
Next Steps
The legislation is pending review by the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing after being reported favorably to their respective chambers by the Joint Committee on Public Health.4 The Joint Committee on Health Care Financing has until March 18, 2026, to report back to the House on H.2531; no reporting date has been set for S.1608. Notably, the bills were discussed during a hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Health on July 14, 2025.
Footnotes
1. PA Compact Status (last visited Jan. 14, 2026).
2. 2024 Mass. Acts Ch. 238, § 229.
3. See H.2393, 194th Gen. Ct., 1st Sess. (Mass. 2025) (Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (physicians)); H.2563, S.1494, H.455 and S.257, 194th Gen. Ct., 1st Sess. (Mass. 2025) (Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact); H.2528 and S.1487, 194th Gen. Ct., 1st Sess. (Mass. 2025) (Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact); H.2490 and S.1506, 194th Gen. Ct., 1st Sess. (Mass. 2025) (Physical Therapy Licensure Compact); H.427 and S.2672, 194th Gen. Ct., 1st Sess. (Mass. 2025) (Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact); H.4119, 194th Gen. Ct., 1st Sess. (Mass. 2025) (EMS Licensure Compact).
4. The authors note that the Massachusetts Legislature is concurrently considering a series of other proposed bills that would impact PAs. Holland & Knight will separately provide summaries of these bills and continue tracking their status.
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