Substitute House Bill No. 6979 seeks to improve physician recruitment and retention in Connecticut by revising medical licensing and registration regulations. A significant change includes the repeal of subsection (b) of section 19a-88, which is replaced with provisions that allow retired physicians to renew their licenses at a reduced fee starting January 1, 2026. The renewal fee will be set at either ten percent of the professional services fee for class I or ninety-five dollars, whichever is greater. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Public Health to establish regulations that define "retired from the profession," outline procedures for retired physicians to return to active practice, and set restrictions on their scope of practice, particularly for those offering volunteer services without compensation.

Additionally, the bill introduces a new student loan repayment program for healthcare providers delivering primary care and behavioral health services in Connecticut. It modifies professional liability insurance requirements for physicians providing direct patient care, particularly in tax-exempt clinics, with compliance contingent on the clinic's operational status and the nature of services provided. The bill exempts volunteer physicians from maintaining malpractice insurance when providing behavioral health services at certain nonprofit clinics, provided these clinics meet specific insurance requirements. The bill's provisions will take effect on various dates, with the student loan repayment program effective immediately upon passage and other sections effective from October 1, 2025. Notably, the bill also corrects the terminology from "scope of a practice" to "scope of practice" for consistency.