---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to physician assistants."
description: "Amend KRS 311.840 to define terms; amend KRS 311.842, 311.848, 311.850, 202A.011, 202C.010, 216B.175, and 600.020 to change references to \"supervising physician\" to \"collaborating physician\" to conform; amend KRS 311.844 to include Schedule II controlled substances in the list of controlled substances authorized license holders may prescribe; amend KRS 311.858 to list the services a physician assistant may provide; require a physician assistant to consult and collaborate with or refer a patient to an appropriate licensed physician as indicated by the patient's condition and the standard of care; create a new section of KRS 311.840 to 311.862 to establish requirements for a collaboration agreement between a collaborating physician and a physician assistant; amend KRS 186.577 to allow physician assistants to administer driver vision tests; amend KRS 218A.202 to conform; repeal KRS 311.854, 311.856, and 311.860, relating to supervising physicians."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2026RS"
identifier: "SB 116"
citation: "Kentucky SB 116 (2026RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Advisory Boards", "Commissions", "And Committees", "Driver Licensing", "Drugs And Medicines", "Health Care Professionals", "Hospitals And Health Facilities", "Occupations And Professions", "Physicians", "Transportation"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["L. Tichenor", "S. Madon", "S. Meredith"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2026-04-10T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/28a4d2e5-aebd-47c9-93ca-6363a00b30f1"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/sb116.html"
source_hash: "37a6027a8544d32fc411574bc09062fdb68516a69da7df95e32455e1d9ce4f0e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ky"]
---

# Kentucky SB 116 (2026RS) — AN ACT relating to physician assistants.

Amend KRS 311.840 to define terms; amend KRS 311.842, 311.848, 311.850, 202A.011, 202C.010, 216B.175, and 600.020 to change references to "supervising physician" to "collaborating physician" to conform; amend KRS 311.844 to include Schedule II controlled substances in the list of controlled substances authorized license holders may prescribe; amend KRS 311.858 to list the services a physician assistant may provide; require a physician assistant to consult and collaborate with or refer a patient to an appropriate licensed physician as indicated by the patient's condition and the standard of care; create a new section of KRS 311.840 to 311.862 to establish requirements for a collaboration agreement between a collaborating physician and a physician assistant; amend KRS 186.577 to allow physician assistants to administer driver vision tests; amend KRS 218A.202 to conform; repeal KRS 311.854, 311.856, and 311.860, relating to supervising physicians.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb116/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 94** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0094.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/sb116/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- FINAL PASSAGE OF SB 116 w/ HFA 2 — **36–0** (pass) · upper
- PASS SB 116 w/ SCS 1 — **33–2** (pass) · upper
- Pass — **90–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- L. Tichenor — primary (person)
- S. Madon — primary (person)
- S. Meredith — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-23T05:00:00+00:00** to Health Services (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-04T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-05T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2026-03-05T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 06 2026
- **2026-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day `passage`
- **2026-03-09T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 33-2 with Committee Substitute (1) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-10T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2026-03-10T04:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** to Health Services (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-19T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-19T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (1) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-03-20T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2026-03-20T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 24 2026
- **2026-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendments (2), (3) and (4-title) filed
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendments (5) and (6-title) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 90-1 with Floor Amendment (2) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** to Rules (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage for concurrence in House Floor Amendment (2)
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Senate concurred in Floor Amendment (2)
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** passed 36-0 `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2026-04-10T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 94) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/28a4d2e5-aebd-47c9-93ca-6363a00b30f1`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).