The bill amends various sections of the Oklahoma Statutes concerning the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, introducing significant changes to the medical licensure process. It authorizes the Board to hire a medical advisor to assist with its duties and modifies licensure requirements for both domestic and foreign applicants by removing certain conditions and updating postgraduate training requirements. The bill also allows the Board to conduct national criminal history background checks on physician and physician assistant applicants, specifying procedures for these checks and limiting the use of the results. Additionally, it expands the Board's quasi-judicial powers to impose disciplinary actions on licensees, including those with felony convictions, and establishes a new section for expedited licensure through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.

Moreover, the bill revises the Allied Professional Peer Assistance Program by allowing the Board to employ or contract with individuals for program coordination, replacing the previous requirement for appointment. It ensures that records of enrolled professionals are kept separate and can only be disclosed through a subpoena or court order, with confidentiality lost if a professional defaults on program requirements. New licensure requirements for physician assistants are also introduced, mandating national criminal history background checks, including fingerprinting. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 59-518.1
House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill: 59-518.1
Floor (House): 59-518.1
Floor (Senate): 59-518.1
Engrossed: 59-518.1
Amended And Engrossed: 59-518.1
Enrolled (final version): 59-518.1