|
REFERENCE TITLE: international medical graduates; licensure. |
|
State of Arizona Senate Fifty-sixth Legislature First Regular Session 2023
|
|
SB 1249 |
|
|
|
Introduced by Senator Shope
|
An Act
amending title 32, chapter 13, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding sections 32-1440 and 32-1441; relating to the Arizona medical board.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 32, chapter 13, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding sections 32-1440 and 32-1441, to read:
32-1440. International medical graduates; provisional licensure; disciplinary actions; revocation; definitions
A. Notwithstanding any other law, the board shall grant a provisional license to engage in the practice of medicine in this state to any international medical graduate who has an offer for employment as a physician at any health care provider that operates in this state, whose federal immigration status allows the international medical graduate to practice as a physician in the United States and who meets the requirements for licensure prescribed in section 32-1422 and section 32-1423, paragraphs 1 and 2.
B. The board may discipline a licensee or revoke a provisional license granted pursuant to this section based on clear and compelling evidence after an investigation conducted pursuant to section 32-1451. A provisional licensee may appeal the revocation of the provisional license to the superior court in Maricopa county pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6 within one hundred twenty days after the decision of the board revoking the provisional license. The court shall reinstate the provisional license if the court finds that the board's actions did not meet the standards prescribed in this subsection.
C. A provisional license shall automatically be converted into a full license to practice medicine in this state after three years unless the board DISCIPLINES the licensee in that three-year period of the provisional license.
D. This section does not require the board to license an international medical graduate who does not provide all of the following:
1. Evidence of substantially similar medical training as that required by this state.
2. Evidence of satisfactory passage of exams.
3. Documentation of legal status to work in the United States.
4. A complete license application.
5. Payment of all required licensing fees.
E. The board may require an applicant international medical graduate to submit any necessary supporting application materials so that the board may properly evaluate the applicant for licensure.
F. The board may require an applicant international medical graduate, at the applicant's expense, to submit medical education information through the educational commission for foreign medical graduates or another third-party records service.
G. for the purposes of this section:
1. "Health care provider":
(a) Means an individual, entity, corporation, person or organization, whether for-profit or nonprofit, that furnishes, bills for or is paid for health care procedures or service delivery in the normal course of business.
(b) Includes health systems, hospitals, hospital-based facilities, freestanding emergency facilities and urgent care clinics.
2. "International medical graduate" means an individual who meets all of the following requirements:
(a) Has been granted a medical doctorate or a substantially similar degree by an international medical program of good standing.
(b) Is in good standing with the medical licensing or regulatory institution of the individual's resident country.
(c) Has completed a residency or substantially similar postgraduate medical training in the individual's resident country and has practiced as a medical professional performing the duties of a physician in the individual's resident country for at least two years.
(d) Possesses basic fluency in the English language.
3. "International medical program" means any medical school, residency program, medical internship program or entity that provides physicians with a medical education or training outside of the United States and that is substantially similar to that required to practice as a physician in this state.
4. "Physician" means an individual who has obtained a medical doctorate or a substantially similar degree and who has completed a residency program or substantially similar postgraduate medical training.
32-1441. International medical graduates; licensure; countries; requirements; definitions
A. Notwithstanding any other law, the board shall grant a license to engage in the practice of medicine in this state to an international medical graduate who meets the requirements of this section and who is licensed to practice in any of the following:
1. Australia.
2. Hong Kong.
3. Ireland.
4. Israel.
5. New Zealand.
6. Singapore.
7. South Africa.
8. Switzerland.
9. The United Kingdom.
10. Canada.
B. The board may add additional countries to the list prescribed in subsection A of this section.
C. The board may grant a license under this section only to an international medical graduate who is an international medical program graduate, whose federal immigration status allows the person to work as a physician in the United States and who meets the requirements for licensure prescribed in section 32-1422 and section 32-1423, paragraphs 1 and 2.
D. An international medical graduate who is licensed to practice in a country listed in subsection A of this section or added pursuant to subsection B of this section may engage in the practice of medicine in this state without additional training or residency requirements if the person meets the requirements of this section.
E. An international medical graduate whose license in a country listed in subsection A of this section or added pursuant to subsection B of this section has expired or lapsed within the previous five years but who meets all other requirements of this section may also be granted a license under this section. Such applicants must have been in good standing with the medical licensing or regulatory institution of the licensing country at the time the license expired or lapsed.
F. For the purposes of this section:
1. "International medical graduate" has the same meaning prescribed in section 32-1440.
2. "International medical program" has the same meaning prescribed in section 32-1440.
3. "Physician" has the same meaning prescribed in section 32-1440.
Sec. 2. Effective date
This act is effective from and after December 31, 2023.