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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
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2023 SENATE BILL 900
January 11, 2024 - Introduced by Senators TOMCZYK, BALLWEG and QUINN,
cosponsored by Representatives CALLAHAN, GUSTAFSON, BORN, GUNDRUM,
MURPHY, MURSAU, ORTIZ-VELEZ, RETTINGER, ROZAR, SCHMIDT, SNYDER, SPIROS
and VANDERMEER. Referred to Committee on Health.
1 AN ACT to amend 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.), 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) and 448.974 (1) (a)
2 (intro.); and to create 448.01 (3), 448.02 (4m), 448.04 (1) (br), 448.05 (2m),
3 448.971 (5) and 448.974 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to: provisional licenses
4 to practice medicine and surgery for internationally trained physicians and
5 physician assistants and granting rule-making authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates provisional licenses for certain internationally trained
physicians to practice as a physician in this state and provides that certain physician
assistants or physician associates who are licensed to practice in certain qualifying
countries may apply for and receive a license to practice as a physician assistant in
this state without having to satisfy certain educational requirements provided under
current law. Under the bill, provisional licenses to practice as a physician are
automatically converted into permanent licenses after the provisional license holder
practices in this state and maintains good standing for three consecutive years.
Under current law, the Medical Examining Board licenses and regulates
physicians. This bill provides that the Medical Examining Board may issue a
provisional license to practice as a physician to an applicant who meets certain
requirements, including: (1) the applicant has an offer for employment as a physician
in this state; (2) the applicant has been granted a medical doctorate or a substantially
similar degree by an international medical program; (3) the applicant has completed
a residency program or a postgraduate medical training program that is
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SENATE BILL 900
substantially similar to a residency program; (4) the applicant has practiced as a
fully licensed physician in his or her country of practice for at least five years after
completing a residency program or a postgraduate medical training program that is
substantially similar to a residency program; (5) the applicant has been in good
standing with the medical licensing or regulatory agency of his or her country of
practice for the five years preceding the individual's application and does not have
any pending disciplinary action before the medical licensing or regulatory agency;
(6) the applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing
Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the
Federation of State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations; (7) the
applicant has, or will have prior to working as a physician in this state, a federal
immigration status and employment authorization that enables the applicant to
work as a physician in this state; and (8) the applicant possesses basic fluency in the
English language. Under the bill, “international medical program” is defined to
mean any medical school, residency program, medical internship program, or other
program that is approved by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical
Graduates or provides individuals with a medical education or training outside the
United States that is substantially similar to the training required to qualify to
practice medicine and surgery in this state.
Under current law, the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board is
attached to the Medical Examining Board and is responsible for the licensing and
regulation of physician assistants. The Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing
Board must issue licenses to practice as a physician assistant to any applicant who
is found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board and who satisfies
certain requirements including that the applicant has successfully completed an
educational program for physician assistants or physician associates that is
described under current law or has successfully passed the Physician Assistant
National Certifying Examination prior to January 1, 1986. This bill provides that
an applicant for a license as a physician assistant does not have to complete the
educational program described under current law if the applicant provides evidence
satisfactory to the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board that the
applicant is licensed as a physician assistant or physician associate in a qualified
country, that the applicant is in good standing with the licensing or regulatory
institution in the qualified country, that the applicant can speak fluently in the
English language, and that the applicant is lawfully admitted to work as a physician
assistant in the United States. Under the bill, “qualified country” is defined to mean
a country that the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board determines by
rule has set educational requirements for obtaining a license to practice as a
physician assistant or physician associate in that country that are substantially
equivalent to the educational requirements for licensure as a physician assistant in
this state.
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SENATE BILL 900
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
1 SECTION 1. 448.01 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
2 448.01 (3) “International medical program” means any medical school,
3 residency program, medical internship program, or other program that is approved
4 by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates or provides
5 individuals with a medical education or training outside the United States that is
6 substantially similar to the training required to qualify to practice medicine and
7 surgery in this state.
8 SECTION 2. 448.02 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:
9 448.02 (4m) INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS. The board may suspend or revoke a
10 license granted under s. 448.04 (1) (br) if a majority of the board determines that the
11 holder of the license is no longer employed as a physician in this state. The holder
12 of the license shall be granted an opportunity to be heard prior to the board's
13 determination.
14 SECTION 3. 448.04 (1) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
15 448.04 (1) (br) Provisional license to practice medicine and surgery for
16 international physicians. The board may grant a provisional license to practice
17 medicine and surgery for international physicians to an applicant who satisfies the
18 requirements under s. 448.05 (2m). A provisional license to practice medicine and
19 surgery under this paragraph shall be converted into a license to practice medicine
20 and surgery under par. (a) after the provisional license holder practices medicine and
21 surgery full-time in this state and maintains good standing for 3 consecutive years.
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SENATE BILL 900 SECTION 4
1 SECTION 4. 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
2 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (f) and sub. (2m), an
3 applicant for any class of license to practice medicine and surgery must supply
4 evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
5 SECTION 5. 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
6 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (c) to (f) and sub. (2m), an
7 applicant for a license to practice medicine and surgery who is a graduate of a foreign
8 medical college must supply evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
9 SECTION 6. 448.05 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
10 448.05 (2m) PROVISIONAL LICENSE TO PRACTICE MEDICINE AND SURGERY FOR
11 INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS. An applicant for a provisional license to practice medicine
12 and surgery for international physicians must supply evidence to the board that the
13 applicant satisfies all of the following:
14 (a) The applicant has an offer for employment as a physician in this state.
15 (b) The applicant has been granted a medical doctorate or a substantially
16 similar degree by an international medical program.
17 (c) The applicant has completed a residency program or a postgraduate medical
18 training program that is substantially similar to a residency program.
19 (d) The applicant has practiced as a fully licensed physician in his or her
20 country of practice for at least 5 years after completing a residency program or a
21 postgraduate medical training program that is substantially similar to a residency
22 program.
23 (e) The applicant has been in good standing with the medical licensing or
24 regulatory agency of his or her country of practice for the 5 years preceding the
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SENATE BILL 900 SECTION 6
1 individual's application and does not have any pending disciplinary action before the
2 medical licensing or regulatory agency.
3 (f) The applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing
4 Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the
5 Federation of State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations.
6 (g) The applicant has, or will have prior to working as a physician in this state,
7 a federal immigration status and employment authorization that enables the
8 applicant to work as a physician in this state.
9 (h) The applicant possesses basic fluency in the English language.
10 SECTION 7. 448.971 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
11 448.971 (5) “Qualified country” means a country that the board determines by
12 rule has set educational requirements for obtaining a license to practice as a
13 physician assistant or physician associate in that country that are substantially
14 equivalent to the educational requirements for licensure as a physician assistant
15 under s. 448.974 (1) (a) 3. a.
16 SECTION 8. 448.974 (1) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
17 448.974 (1) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in par. pars. (b) and (c), the board
18 shall grant an initial license to practice as a physician assistant to any applicant who
19 is found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board and satisfies all of
20 the following requirements, as determined by the board:
21 SECTION 9. 448.974 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
22 448.974 (1) (c) Paragraph (a) 3. does not apply to an applicant who provides
23 evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is licensed as a physician
24 assistant or physician associate in a qualified country, that the applicant is in good
25 standing with the licensing or regulatory institution in the qualified country, that the
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SENATE BILL 900 SECTION 9
1 applicant can speak fluently in the English language, and that the applicant is
2 lawfully admitted to work as a physician assistant in the United States.
3 SECTION 10.0Effective date.
4 (1) This act takes effect on January 1, 2025.
5 (END)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 448.05(2)(a)(intro.), 448.05, 448.05(2)(b)(intro.), 448.974(1)(a)(intro.), 448.974