HB 2467
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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
First Regular Session
HB 2467: international medical graduates; licensure
Sponsor: Representative Montenegro, LD 29
Committee on Health & Human Services
Overview
Allows the Arizona Medical Board (Board), effective January 1, 2024, to grant provisional licenses
to international medical graduates to engage in the practice of medicine in Arizona if certain
criteria are met.
History
The Board was originally established by the Arizona State Legislature in 1913. The Board consists
of 12 members who are appointed to serve a term of five years to begin and end on July 1. The
Board's primary duty is to protect the public from unlawful, incompetent, unqualified, impaired or
unprofessional practitioners of allopathic medicine through licensing and regulation (A.R.S. §§
32-1402 and 32-1403).
The Board initiates investigations, disciplines and rehabilitates physicians and develops
standards governing the profession. An applicant for licensure must submit fingerprints for the
purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check. Additional qualifications for a
medical license can be found in statute (A.R.S. §§ 32-1422, 32-1451 and 32-1452).
The practice of medicine in part, means the diagnosis, treatment or correction of any and all
human diseases, injuries, ailments, infirmities or deformities, physical or mental, by any means,
methods, devices or instrumentalities. The practice of medicine includes the practice of medicine
alone or the practice of surgery alone, or both (A.R.S. § 32-1401).
Provisions
1. Requires the Board to grant a provisional license to engage in the practice of medicine to an
international medical graduate that:
a) has an offer for employment as a physician at any health care provider that operates in
Arizona;
b) whose federal immigration status permits them to practice as a physician in the United
States; and
c) who meets applicable requirements for medicine and surgery licensure. (Sec. 1)
2. Allows the Board to discipline a licensee or revoke a granted provisional license based on
clean and compelling evidence after a conducted investigation. (Sec. 1)
3. Permits a provisional licensee to appeal the revocation to the Maricopa County Superior Court
within 120 days after the Board's decision to revoke the provisional license. (Sec. 1)
4. Requires the court to reinstate the provisional license if the court finds that the Board's actions
did not meet the standards for revocation. (Sec. 1)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note HB 2467
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5. Requires a provisional license to automatically convert into a full license to practice medicine
in Arizona after three years unless the Board disciplines the licensee in that three-year period
of the provisional license. (Sec. 1)
6. Specifies that the Board is not required to license an international medical graduate who does
not provide the following:
a) evidence of substantially similar required medical training;
b) evidence of satisfactory passage of exams;
c) documentation of legal status to work in the United States;
d) a complete license application; and
e) payment of all required licensing fees. (Sec. 1)
7. Allows the Board to require an applicant international medical graduate to submit any
necessary supporting application materials so that the Board may properly evaluate the
applicant for licensure. (Sec. 1)
8. Permits the Board to require an applicant international medical graduate, at the applicant's
expense, to submit medical education information through the Educational Commission for
Foreign Medical Graduates or another third-party records service. (Sec. 1)
9. Directs the Board to grant a medical license to an international medical graduate who meets
outlined criteria and who is a resident of and licensed to practice in:
a) Australia;
b) Hong Kong;
c) Ireland;
d) Israel;
e) New Zealand;
f) Singapore;
g) South Africa;
h) Switzerland;
i) The United Kingdom;
j) Canada; and
k) any additional countries added by the Board. (Sec. 1)
10. Stipulates that the Board may grant a license only to an international medical graduate:
a) whose federal immigration status allows the person to work as a physician in the US; and
b) who meets applicable requirements for medicine and surgery licensure. (Sec. 1)
11. Allows an international medical graduate who is licensed to practice under the specified
countries or countries added by the Board, to engage in the practice of medicine in Arizona
without additional training or residency requirements if outlined criteria are met. (Sec. 1)
12. Allows an international medical graduate whose license to practice under the specified
countries or countries added by the Board has expired or lapsed within the previous five years
but meets all other requirements to be granted a license. (Sec. 1)
13. Specifies that international medical graduate applicants with an expired or lapsed license must
be in good standing with the medical licensing or regulatory institution of the licensing country
at the time the license expired or lapsed. (Sec. 1)
14. Defines terms. (Sec. 1)
15. Contains an effective date of January 1, 2024. (Sec. 2)