Legislation Signed by Virginia Governor Spanberger Will Modernize PA Practice Law, Expand Patient Access to Care
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Updated: May 5, 2026) – The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) applauds Governor Abigail Spanberger for signing HB 746 into law on April 8.
Once enacted, this law will ensure Virginia’s physician associate (PA) workforce of 5,150 PAs is mobilized in the state’s efforts to increase patient access to care, especially in the 70 counties designated as a health professional shortage area (HPSA).
By removing an outdated requirement for PAs with more than three years of practice to have an on-paper agreement with a physician, experienced PAs will be unencumbered and more readily available to serve in rural and other underserved areas.
“Thanks to leaders like Governor Spanberger and those in the Virginia legislature who championed this bill, the rest of the country is taking notice,” said AAPA President and Chair of the Board Todd Pickard, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, FASCO. “For too long, unnecessary administrative and purely transactional requirements like practice agreements have encumbered PA care. Enactment of this law, as well as similar bills currently under review in other states, signals that we are in a new era and that policymakers are embracing PAs as a critical solution to gaps in healthcare.”
According to a survey by The Harris Poll, 94% of Virginians agree fully utilizing all healthcare providers, including PAs, improves patient health.
Educated at the master’s degree level, PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. There are more than 190,000 PAs in the U.S, who have more than 590 million patient interactions each year.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this release stated that Virginia’s law moved the state to a fully optimal practice environment. This has been updated to reflect that, under AAPA’s definition, achieving an optimal practice environment requires modernization of the regulatory structure, including establishment of a separate PA regulatory board or inclusion of one or more full PA voting members on the medical/healing arts board. Virgina’s law has yet to address that criteria.
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Media Contact: Jenni Roberson ([email protected]), 703.380.2764
About the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)
AAPA is the national membership organization for all physician associates/assistants (PAs). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.
