ADVERTISEMENT Pa. Senate OKs Bill Delegating Docs' Informed Consent Duties Law360 (April 29, 2021, 6:05 PM EDT) -- Four years after a controversial decision by the state's high court saddling doctors with sole responsibility for obtaining informed consent from patients prior to medical procedures, the Pennsylvania Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that would allow delegation of the duty to a qualified associate. The chamber voted 47-0 to approve a bill from state Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia, that would amend the state's Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act to clarify that not just a treating physician but any "qualified practitioner" would be able to obtain a patient's informed consent.