SPONSOR: Shaul
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing by a vote of 12 to 0.
This bill allows any person who holds a valid current physician and surgeon license issued by another state, a branch or unit of the military, a territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, who has been licensed for at least one year in that location, to apply for a physician or surgeon license in Missouri. The Board of Healing Arts can waive any examination, educational requirements, or experience requirements for the licensure if the Board determines that the applicant met the minimum education and work experience in the other territory.
The Board will not waive the requirements if:
(1) The applicant had his or her license revoked by an oversight committee;
(2) The applicant is currently under investigation;
(3) The applicant has a complaint pending;
(4) The applicant is currently under administrative disciplinary action;
(5) The applicant does not hold a license in good standing with an oversight body outside of Missouri; or
(6) The applicant has a criminal conviction that would disqualify him or her for licensure in Missouri.
This bill adopts the "Interstate Medical Licensure Compact". The Compact allows a physician who meets the eligibility requirements to receive an expedited license. The state must perform a criminal background check on an applicant and the state cannot require any additional verification beyond primary-source verification of medical education or results of medical or licensing examinations.
A physician may renew his or her expedited license as a member of the Compact.
The Compact establishes a confidential database of all physicians who have been granted an expedited license or who have applied for an expedited license, for the purpose of allowing member states to report disciplinary or investigatory information. Member states may participate in joint investigations of physicians with other member states, and any disciplinary action taken by one member state may subject the physician to discipline with other member states. If a physician's license is revoked, surrendered, or relinquished in one state, it shall automatically be placed on the same status in the other member states.
The Compact establishes the "Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission" to act as a corporate and joint agency of the member states and to oversee and maintain administration of the Compact.
The Compact outlines procedures for any member state that fails to perform its obligations of the Compact.
The Compact will only be effective once seven states have enacted legislation to join the Compact.
The Compact outlines the procedure to withdraw from the Compact. The Compact supercedes all other laws that conflict with provisions of the Compact.
This bill is similar to HB 516 (2021) and HB 2256 (2020).
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this helps doctors get licensed in Missouri if he or she already has a license in another state without administrative actions. Supporters also say this keeps doctors in Missouri who want to live here but want to practice in other states.
Testifying for the bill were Representative Shaul; Missouri Hospital Association; Marschall Smith, Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission; University of Missouri Health Care; BJC Healthcare; SSM Health; Alexis Jackson Hall, Associatied Students of the University of Missouri; and Richard (Rick) Masters, Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that this takes away control from Missouri's Board of the Healing Arts.
Testifying against the bill were Arnie C. Ac Dienoff; and the Missouri State Medical Association.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: