Certified anesthesiologist assistants are an expanding sector of the anesthesia workforce, with numerous updates to individual state licensure and the development of more CAA programs across the U.S.
Here are five recent developments shaping the CAA workforce in 2026:
1. Legislators in Kansas introduced a bill that would create a licensing and regulation system for CAAs in February. The bill was introduced in 2025 and most recently referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.
2. In September 2025, Kansas City University officially opened admissions for its new Master of Health Science in Anesthesiologist Assistant program. The program is set to launch in January 2026 at the Farber-McIntire Campus in Joplin, Mo., according to the report.
3. In May 2025, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill authorizing the licensure of CAAs. The legislation allows CAAs to practice in physician-led anesthesia care teams. One month earlier, Lipscomb University in Nashville announced plans to launch the state’s first CAA master’s program ahead of the state’s authorization of CAA practice.
4. In April 2025 California legislators introduced a bill that would allow certified anesthesiologist assistants to practice in the state.
5. CAAs were granted authority to practice alongside physician-led anesthesia teams in Virginia in March 2025. The legislation went into effect in July.