Senate Bill No. 443 amends various sections of the Oklahoma Statutes concerning the practice of medicine, particularly the responsibilities of the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. The bill introduces provisions allowing the Board to hire a medical advisor and modifies licensure requirements by removing certain conditions and updating postgraduate medical training criteria. It mandates a national criminal history background check for physician applicants, detailing the procedures for these checks while limiting the use of the results. Additionally, the bill expands the Board's quasi-judicial powers and updates statutory language throughout the relevant sections.

The legislation also revises licensure requirements for foreign applicants, accepting degrees from foreign medical schools and requiring English proficiency certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). It mandates notarized English translations of credentials and permits the Board to require further graduate medical training as needed. The bill establishes the Allied Professional Peer Assistance Program to support allied medical professionals with substance abuse issues, allowing the Board to appoint advisory committees and allocate licensing fees to the program. Furthermore, it adds a national criminal history background check as a prerequisite for physician assistant licensure, with the Board authorized to conduct these checks. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause for immediate implementation upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 59-518.1
Floor (Senate): 59-518.1