AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

In the coming decade, Texas faces significant shortage of primary care physicians to meet the health care needs of its growing population. International medical graduates comprise an important and growing portion of Texas' primary care workforce.  However, under current Texas law, international medical graduates cannot receive a medical license until they have completed three full years of residency training.  In contrast, physicians who graduated from United States medical schools are eligible for a Texas license after completing only one year of residency.

 

This requirement causes international medical graduates completing residency training in Texas to either delay taking their Texas Medical Board examination or obtain another state medical license that does not impose this restriction.  Forcing international medical graduates to wait three years before being granted a Texas medical license adds up to months of unnecessary and costly delays before they can begin caring for patients.

 

C.S.H.B. 1380 amends current law relating to the graduate medical training requirements for certain foreign medical school graduates applying for a license to practice medicine in this state.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 155.003(a), Occupations Code, to require an applicant, to be eligible for a license under this chapter, to present proof satisfactory to the Texas Medical Board (TMB) that the applicant meets certain criteria, including that the applicant has either successfully completed one year of graduate medical training approved by TMB in the United States or Canada; or graduated from a medical school located outside the United States or Canada and has successfully completed two years, rather than three years, of graduate medical training approved by TMB in the United States or Canada.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 155.004, Occupations Code, to require a license applicant who is a graduate of a medical school that is located outside the United States and Canada to present proof satisfactory to TMB that the applicant meets certain criteria, including that the applicant has successfully completed at least two years of graduate medical training in the United States or Canada that was approved by TMB, rather than has successfully completed at least three years of graduate medical training in the United States or Canada that was approved by TMB or at least two years of graduate medical training in the United States or Canada that was approved by TMB and at least one year of graduate medical training outside the United States or Canada that was approved for advanced standing by a specialty board organization approved by TMB.  Makes nonsubstantive changes.

 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 155.005(a), Occupations Code, to require an applicant who has been a student of a foreign medical school, to be eligible for a license under this chapter, to present proof satisfactory to TMB that the applicant meets certain criteria, including that the applicant has successfully completed at least two years, rather than three years, of graduate medical training in the United States or Canada that was approved by TMB as of the date the training was completed.

 

SECTION 4.  Makes application of the changes in law made by this Act to Sections 155.003, 155.004, and 155.005, Occupations Code, prospective.

 

SECTION 5.  Effective date: September 1, 2011.