ENROLLED
ACT No. 646
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 972 (Substitute for House Bill No. 959 by Representative Deshotel)
BY REPRESENTATIVES DESHOTEL, BAGLEY, BERAULT, CARVER, CHASSION,
DOMANGUE, EGAN, FREIBERG, GREEN, MIKE JOHNSON, LACOMBE,
MCFARLAND, NEWELL, OWEN, SELDERS, STAGNI, WILDER, AND WYBLE
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 37:1275.2, relative to licenses authorized by certain departments, boards,
3 commissions, and offices; to allow the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
4 to grant certain licenses; to provide for requirements for international medical
5 graduates; to limit certain practices; to provide for licensure of certain physicians;
6 to require rule promulgation; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 37:1275.2 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 ยง1275.2. International physicians; licensure
10 A. The board may grant a license to practice medicine in this state to an
11 international medical graduate who satisfies all of the following criteria:
12 (1) Has been granted a medical doctorate or substantially similar degree by
13 an international medical program of good standing. For the purposes of this Section,
14 "international medical program" means a medical school, residency program,
15 medical internship program, or entity that provides physicians with a medical
16 education or training outside of the United States that is substantially similar to the
17 medical education or training required to practice as a physician in this state. The
18 international medical graduate shall submit documentation or a certification from a
19 medical school whose curriculum is judged to be acceptable by the board.
20 (2) Is in good standing with the medical licensing or regulatory institution
21 of the individual's licensing country.
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1 (3) Has completed a residency or substantially similar post-graduate medical
2 training in the individual's licensing country or practiced as a medical professional
3 performing the duties of a physician in the individual's licensing country for no less
4 than five years.
5 (4) Is a citizen of the United States or Canada or legally entitled to live or
6 work in the United States and possesses basic fluency in the English language.
7 (5) Has submitted sufficient evidence to the board that the applicant has an
8 offer for employment as a physician at a facility owned or operated by a hospital
9 licensed in this state.
10 B. An international medical graduate who is granted a license pursuant to
11 this Section shall provide medical services only at a facility owned or operated by
12 a hospital licensed by this state until the completion of two years from the date of
13 original licensure and after such time the licensee is no longer subject to this
14 limitation.
15 C. The board may revoke a license issued pursuant to this Section based
16 upon a finding that clear and convincing evidence exists that a license holder's
17 medical services violated medical safety, competency, or conduct standards
18 established by the board.
19 D. The board shall promulgate any rules and regulations pursuant to the
20 Administrative Procedure Act that may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of
21 this Section.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.