House File 2564 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2564
BY YOUNG
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the licensure of internationally trained
2 physicians, and including effective date provisions.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 148J.1 Definitions.
2 For the purposes of this chapter:
3 1. “Board” means the board of medicine established pursuant
4 to chapter 147.
5 2. “Health care facility” means all of the following:
6 a. A facility as defined in section 514J.102.
7 b. A facility licensed pursuant to chapter 135B.
8 c. A facility licensed pursuant to chapter 135C.
9 3. “International medical program” means a medical school,
10 residency program, medical internship program, or entity that
11 provides physicians with a medical education or training
12 outside of the United States that is substantially similar to
13 the practice of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine
14 and surgery in Iowa and that has been evaluated by the
15 educational commission on foreign medical graduates.
16 4. “International physician” means an individual who meets
17 all of the following requirements:
18 a. Has a medical doctorate or substantially similar degree
19 issued by an international medical program in good standing.
20 b. Has been in good standing with the medical licensing or
21 regulatory institution of the individual’s resident country
22 during the immediately preceding five years and has no pending
23 discipline before the licensing or regulatory institution.
24 c. Has completed a residency or substantially similar
25 postgraduate medical training in the individual’s resident
26 country.
27 d. Has practiced medicine and surgery or osteopathic
28 medicine and surgery as a licensed physician for five years
29 following the completion of a residency or substantially
30 similar postgraduate medical training.
31 e. Possesses basic fluency in the English language.
32 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 148J.2 International physicians ——
33 provisional licenses.
34 1. a. The board shall grant a provisional license to
35 practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and
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1 surgery in this state to an international physician with an
2 offer for employment as a physician at a health care facility
3 in this state. However, the board shall not grant a license
4 pursuant to this subsection to an international physician who
5 does not possess a federal immigration status allowing the
6 international medical graduate to practice as a physician
7 in the United States, or to an international physician who
8 fails to obtain a passing score on the United States medical
9 licensing examination.
10 b. A provisional license granted pursuant to paragraph “a”
11 shall be converted to a full license to practice medicine and
12 surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery after three years,
13 unless the license has been revoked pursuant to subsection 2
14 or surrendered by the licensee.
15 2. a. The board may revoke a provisional license granted
16 pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph “a”, if the board finds by
17 clear and compelling evidence that the licensee has violated
18 a provision of section 148.6. A licensee may appeal a
19 revocation pursuant to this subsection in a court of competent
20 jurisdiction within one hundred twenty days of the date of
21 revocation.
22 b. The board may revoke a provisional license granted
23 pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph “a”, if the international
24 physician is not employed by a health care facility in this
25 state during the entirety of the provisional licensing period.
26 3. This section does not require the board to grant a
27 provisional license or full license pursuant to subsection 1 to
28 an individual that does not do all of the following:
29 a. Complete training substantially similar to a physician
30 and surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon.
31 b. Receive a passing score on the United States medical
32 licensing examination.
33 c. Pass a background check as required by the board.
34 d. Complete a licensure application as required by the
35 board.
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1 e. Pay all required fees as required by the board.
2 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1,
3 2025.
4 EXPLANATION
5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
6 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
7 This bill relates to the licensure of international
8 physicians in Iowa. The bill defines “international physician”
9 as a person who holds a medical doctorate or substantially
10 similar degree issued by an international medical program, has
11 been in good standing with the medical regulatory body of the
12 person’s country of residence for the immediately preceding
13 five years and has no pending discipline, has completed a
14 residency or similar postgraduate education program, has
15 practiced medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and
16 surgery as a licensed physician for five years following the
17 completion of a residency or substantially similar postgraduate
18 medical training and has a basic fluency in English. The bill
19 defines “international medical program” as a medical training
20 program or entity that provides physicians with a medical
21 education or training, outside of the United States that is
22 substantially similar to the practice of medicine and surgery
23 or osteopathic medicine and surgery in Iowa and that has been
24 evaluated by the educational commission on foreign medical
25 graduates.
26 The bill requires the board of medicine to issue a
27 provisional license to practice medicine and surgery or
28 osteopathic medicine and surgery in Iowa to an international
29 physician who has received a passing score on the United States
30 medical licensing examination and has an offer for employment
31 as a physician with a health care facility, as defined in
32 the bill, in this state. The board may revoke a provisional
33 license if the board finds by clear and compelling evidence
34 that the licensee has engaged in conduct for which a licensee
35 in medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery
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1 may be disciplined, or if the licensee is not employed by a
2 health care facility in this state during the entirety of
3 the provisional licensing period. If a provisional license
4 is not revoked or surrendered, the provisional license shall
5 be converted to a full license after three years. The bill
6 allows the board to conduct a background check and require the
7 submission of an application and application fee.
8 The bill takes effect January 1, 2025.
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