SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4457

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 22, 2025

      The Senate Commerce Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 4457.

      This bill replaces instances of “physician assistant” and its variants in the statutory law of this State to “physician associate” and makes certain technical changes.

      In May 2021, the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), formerly the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the national organization representing physician associates voted to change the title of “physician assistant” to “physician associate.”  The bill changes the State’s statutory law to conform to the AAPA’s usage of its preferred term.