HB1609: Nurse practitioner as expert witness; scope of activities.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1609

Offered January 11, 2017
Prefiled January 3, 2017
A BILL to amend and reenact § 8.01-401.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to nurse practitioner as an expert witness; scope of activities.
Patron-- Leftwich

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 8.01-401.2 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 8.01-401.2. Chiropractor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant as expert witness.

A. A doctor of chiropractic, when properly qualified, may testify as an expert witness in a court of law as to etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, treatment plan, and disability, including anatomical, physiological, and pathological considerations within the scope of the practice of chiropractic as defined in § 54.1-2900.

B. A physician assistant or nurse practitioner, when properly qualified, may testify as an expert witness in a court of law as to etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, treatment plan, and disability, including anatomical, physiological, and pathological considerations within the scope of his activities as authorized pursuant to § 54.1-2952 or 54.1-2957, respectively. However, no physician assistant or nurse practitioner shall be permitted to testify as an expert witness for or against (i) a defendant doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine in a medical malpractice action regarding the standard of care of a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine or (ii) a defendant health care provider in a medical malpractice action regarding causation.