SRC-TJG S.B. 788 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 788 78R5447 JMM-DBy: Carona Health & Human Services 3/16/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, physicians who are foreign medical school graduates and who complete Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education fellowships are unable to obtain a Texas medical license. As proposed, S.B. 788 establishes eligibility and application requirements for a foreign medical school graduate with specific expertise in a postgraduate area or subspecialty. This bill applies to a graduate of an "acceptable unapproved medical school" that is located outside the United States or Canada who meets certain requirements. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners in SECTION 2 of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 155A, Occupations Code, by adding Section 155.0045, as follows: Sec. 155.0045. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN GRADUATES OF FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOLS HAVING SPECIAL EXPERTISE. (a) Provides that an applicant for a medical license who is a graduate of a medical school that is located outside of the United States and Canada and whose curriculum meets the requirements for an unapproved medial school as determined by a committee of experts selected by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is eligible for a license under this chapter if the applicant meets certain requirements. (b) Requires an application under this section to be made on behalf of the applicant by the chairman of the department in which the applicant completed the fellowship described by Subsection (a)(3). Requires the application to be completed on a form prescribed by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners and include or be accompanied by the information and documentation required by THECB, including the chairman's recommendation to TSBME regarding the applicant. SECTION 2. (a) Effective date: September 1, 2003. (b) Requires TSBME to adopt rules and prescribe forms necessary to implement the requirements of Section 155.0045, Occupations Code, as added by this Act, not later than March 1, 2004.