Kansas Moves from ‘Supervision’ to ‘Collaboration’ and Closer to an Optimal Practice Environment
KAPA’s 2026 Priority Legislation Signed by the Governor, Securing Three Foundational Modernizations
April 6, 2026
Legislation signed into law by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly late Friday will enact three foundational modernizations to the state’s PA Practice Act, achieving significant improvements to the state’s practice environment. Additionally, under the updated law, practice agreements between a PA and a physician will be reclassified from “supervision” to “collaboration” after the PA accrues 4,000 clinical hours – making experienced PAs responsible for the care they provide.
HB 2702 strikes ratio restrictions, affirming that the number of PAs a physician may collaborate with is determined at the practice level. The bill also removes state mandates for determining scope of practice, giving this authority to the PA, collaborating physician(s), and the healthcare facility’s credentialing and privileging process.
The bill also affirms that collaboration does not require the personal presence of a physician at the time or place the physician assistant provides care, thus establishing adaptable proximity requirements for the PA and collaborating physician.
In addition, while HB 2702 did not legally change the profession title from physician assistant to physician associate, the law did establish recognition of both titles – laying groundwork for physician associate as the preferred PA title.
“This legislation represents years of thoughtful collaboration, advocacy, and dedication by members of the Kansas Academy of Physician Associates and partners across the state,” said KAPA Legislative Committee Chair Kerstin Stephens, MHS, PA-C, DFAAPA.
“By modernizing the Physician Assistant/Associate Licensure Act, HB 2702 updates statutory language to better reflect how healthcare is delivered today, through collaborative, team-based care models determined at the practice level and centered on patient needs.”
The bill’s strong bipartisan support, including a unanimous 40–0 vote in the Senate following favorable action in the House, reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality care for Kansans.
With these changes, effective January 1, 2027, Kansas will be classified as an “Advanced” state in accordance with AAPA’s definitions (see PA State Practice Environment Map), edging the state closer to an optimal PA practice environment.
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