§ 3711. Commissioner; powers and duties. The commissioner shall have
the following powers and duties:

1. to promulgate regulations defining and restricting the duties which
may be assigned to specialist assistants, the degree of supervision
required and the manner in which such duties may be performed;

2. to promulgate regulations establishing such different medical
specialties for which specialist assistants may be registered by the
education department pursuant to section sixty-five hundred forty-eight
of the education law as will most effectively increase the quality of
medical care available in this state; provided, however, that no
category of specialist assistant shall be established: (a) for areas in
which allied health professions are licensed pursuant to the education
law or this chapter; or (b) relating to the practice of surgery or
practice in the intensive care unit of any general hospital, as defined
pursuant to article twenty-eight of this chapter.

3. to conduct and support continuing studies respecting the nature and
scope of the duties of specialist assistants in order to promote their
effective functioning as members of the health care team;

4. to determine the desirability of and to establish rules for
requiring continuing education of specialist assistants;

5. to furnish the education department with suggested criteria which
may be used by the education department to help determine the education
and training requirements for a specialist assistant;

6. to adopt such other rules and regulations as may be necessary or
appropriate to carry out the purposes of this article.