Momentum Builds: New Hampshire Becomes Third State to Enact PA Title Change

Back-to-back wins in Maine and New Hampshire accelerate momentum to modernize the PA title and reflect the profession’s true role in healthcare.

June 19, 2025

This week, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte signed SB 285 into law, officially making New Hampshire the third state to adopt “physician associate” as the legal title of the PA profession. Oregon was the first to enact the change in 2024, followed by Maine, where the law took effect on June 14, 2025.

This legislative victory in New Hampshire was informed by a 2024 bipartisan study committee, which found that the term “assistant” creates confusion about the role and responsibilities of PAs. The committee concluded that modernizing PA practice laws and removing supervision requirements would improve access to care and called for legislation to update the title of profession.

AAPA worked in collaboration with the New Hampshire Society of Physician Associates (NHSPA) throughout the effort, providing strategic guidance and advocacy resources to help secure the bill’s passage.

“The NHSPA Legislative Committee took the ball and ran with the fact that the study committee produced no criticisms, except the recommendation of pursuing title change, said Malcolm Hauthaway, MS, PA, president of NHSPA. “There also was a state legislator on the study committee, who went on to strongly support and sponsor the title change bill throughout legislative sessions, while some of the NHSPA’s members executed grassroots efforts in educating their local legislators.” 

Patients deserve clarity about who is providing their care—and modernizing the title helps remove confusion AAPA Chief of Public Affairs and Advocacy Chantell Taylor noted that New Hampshire’s journey demonstrates the natural alignment between title change and broader modernization efforts.

“It’s very hard to convince a lawmaker that PAs have the experience, education and training to practice without physician supervision when their title is ‘assistant,’” Taylor said. “Moving forward, AAPA will bring explore the lessons learned in New Hampshire to drive strategy and progress in states where the title and practice laws need an update.”  

AAPA President and Chair of the Board Jason Prevelige, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA, emphasized that the recent success in both Maine and New Hampshire shows legislative momentum is building fast.

“With the enactment of title change laws in two additional states this year, we have proven that title change is not just an aspiration for our profession – it’s a change lawmakers can get behind,” Prevelige said. “When PA advocates build relationships with policymakers and illuminate how the title ‘assistant’ is confusing patients and keeping PAs in a box, we can secure the support we need. I am excited to see how we can build on this progress in 2026.”   

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