New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SB172 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	SENATE BILL 172
29	29	57
30	30	TH LEGISLATURE
31	31	-
32	32
33	33	STATE
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35	35	OF
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37	37	NEW
38	38
39	39	MEXICO
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41	41	-
42	42	FIRST SESSION
43	43	,
44	44
45	45	2025
46	46	INTRODUCED BY
47	47	Linda M. Trujillo and Cindy Nava and D. Wonda Johnson
48	48	and Janelle Anyanonu
49	49	AN ACT
50	50	RELATING TO HEALTH CARE; INCREASING THE STATE'S HEALTH CARE
51	51	WORKFORCE BY ENACTING THE IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE
52	52	DEVELOPMENT ACT; PROVIDING FOR AN IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE
53	53	PROFESSIONAL ACCELERATION PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR AN IMMIGRANT
54	54	PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN READINESS PATHWAY; PROVIDING FOR AN
55	55	IMMIGRANT PRIMARY CARE RESIDENCY GRANT PROGRAM; CREATING THE
56	56	IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUND; CREATING THE
57	57	IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE ADVISORY GROUP; AMENDING
58	58	DEFINITIONS IN THE MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT; MAKING AN
59	59	APPROPRIATION.
60	60	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
61	61	SECTION 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--Sections 1
62	62	through 9 of this act may be cited as the "Immigrant Health
63	63	Care Workforce Development Act".
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91	91	SECTION 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the
92	92	Immigrant Health Care Workforce Development Act:
93	93	A. "accrediting council" means the accreditation
94	94	council for graduate medical education;
95	95	B. "department" means the workforce solutions
96	96	department;
97	97	C. "immigrant" means an individual who was born
98	98	outside of the United States, who resides permanently in the
99	99	United States and who is authorized to work in the United
100	100	States under federal laws and regulations;
101	101	D. "participant" means an underemployed immigrant
102	102	health care worker who is participating in the immigrant health
103	103	care professional acceleration program;
104	104	E. "primary care physician" means a physician
105	105	licensed in New Mexico to practice general family medicine,
106	106	general internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology or general
107	107	pediatric medicine;
108	108	F. "prior foreign health care experience" means
109	109	training or experience in a broadly recognized health care
110	110	field that is attained outside of the United States and Canada,
111	111	including at least twelve months of educational or vocational
112	112	training or at least twenty-four months of clinical work
113	113	experience;
114	114	G. "qualified international medical graduate" means
115	115	a physician who has a medical degree or qualification from a
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144	144	medical school located outside of the United States and Canada
145	145	that is recognized by the world health organization or the
146	146	world directory of medical schools;
147	147	H. "secretary" means the secretary of workforce
148	148	solutions;
149	149	I. "underemployed immigrant health care worker"
150	150	means an individual who is an immigrant and who has prior
151	151	foreign health care education or experience, is unemployed or
152	152	is not working in health care or is working in health care in a
153	153	position with a scope of practice below the individual's
154	154	highest level of foreign health care experience or licensure;
155	155	and
156	156	J. "underserved community" means a New Mexico area
157	157	or population included in the list of designated primary
158	158	medical care health professional shortage areas, medically
159	159	underserved areas or medically underserved populations
160	160	maintained and updated by the United States department of
161	161	health and human services or by any applicable state equivalent
162	162	thereof.
163	163	SECTION 3. [NEW MATERIAL] IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE
164	164	PROFESSIONAL ACCELERATION PROGRAM--PARTICIPANT SUPPORT--PRIMARY
165	165	CARE PHYSICIAN READINESS PATHWAY.--
166	166	A. The department shall establish and maintain an
167	167	immigrant health care professional acceleration program to
168	168	support underemployed immigrant health care workers. The
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197	197	program shall provide participants:
198	198	(1) educational and career navigation,
199	199	including:
200	200	(a) information on training and
201	201	licensing requirements;
202	202	(b) guidance in determining the pathway
203	203	best suited for a participant based on the participant's
204	204	skills, experience, resources and interests;
205	205	(c) information and guidance regarding
206	206	funding sources for training and education; and
207	207	(d) information regarding practice areas
208	208	for careers as physicians, nurses, physician assistants or
209	209	other health care professionals;
210	210	(2) training and funding for that training to
211	211	support and facilitate participants who identify a need to
212	212	acquire medical English proficiency;
213	213	(3) support with integration into the New
214	214	Mexico community and labor force, including peer group support
215	215	and professional associations;
216	216	(4) training and funding for that training for
217	217	participants to become familiar with using medical information
218	218	technologies, including acquiring and updating contemporary
219	219	computer skills and the use of electronic health record
220	220	technologies;
221	221	(5) training and funding for that training to
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250	250	improve participants' knowledge, familiarity and skills in the
251	251	use of health care and health insurance systems used by health
252	252	care professionals and health care-related entities in New
253	253	Mexico and the United States;
254	254	(6) support and guidance to acquire, develop
255	255	and expand applicable foundational skills the department may
256	256	identify as necessary or appropriate;
257	257	(7) financial support, contingent on the
258	258	availability of funds, including stipends and reimbursements
259	259	for travel costs, test fees or test preparation costs and other
260	260	costs or expenses identified by the department as critical to
261	261	participants' successful completion of the program; and
262	262	(8) support to become credentialed, certified,
263	263	licensed or registered by the appropriate state licensing
264	264	authorities applicable to each participant's chosen health care
265	265	career, including assistance with preparation for required
266	266	licensing examinations and financial assistance for related
267	267	fees.
268	268	B. In administering the immigrant health care
269	269	professional acceleration program, the department shall partner
270	270	with a licensed health care provider in New Mexico for the
271	271	development and operation of an immigrant primary care
272	272	physician readiness pathway for qualified immigrant
273	273	international medical graduates seeking to become licensed
274	274	primary care physicians in New Mexico. The pathway shall be
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303	303	designed to:
304	304	(1) prepare participants to enter a United
305	305	States residency program in a primary care specialty in a
306	306	clinical readiness program to last no less than six months and
307	307	not to exceed twelve months;
308	308	(2) prepare participants to take the
309	309	Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the
310	310	United States, United States Medical Licensing Examination or
311	311	other examinations necessary upon completion of a residency
312	312	program to obtain a license to practice as a primary care
313	313	physician in New Mexico; and
314	314	(3) provide stipends or other support for
315	315	participants while the participants are not employed full-time
316	316	and for a period of time determined as necessary and reasonable
317	317	by the department.
318	318	SECTION 4. [NEW MATERIAL] IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE
319	319	PROFESSIONAL ACCELERATION PROGRAM--ELIGIBILITY--UNDERSERVED
320	320	COMMUNITIES RULES--PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN--READINESS PATHWAY--
321	321	ELIGIBILITY.--
322	322	A. To be eligible to participate in the immigrant
323	323	health care professional acceleration program, an underemployed
324	324	immigrant health care worker shall:
325	325	(1) not be present in the United States on a
326	326	J1 visa following acceptance into a United States medical
327	327	residency or fellowship program;
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356	356	(2) not be present in the United States on a
357	357	non-immigrant employment-based visa;
358	358	(3) have prior foreign health care experience;
359	359	(4) be a New Mexico resident during program
360	360	participation; and
361	361	(5) commit to living in New Mexico and working
362	362	in one of New Mexico's underserved communities post-licensure
363	363	for a period of time that is the longer of:
364	364	(a) at least one year; or
365	365	(b) a period of time commensurate with
366	366	the level of financial support received by the participant, not
367	367	to exceed three years.
368	368	B. The department shall promulgate rules and
369	369	methods to identify and evaluate rural or underserved
370	370	communities where program participants can live and work while
371	371	providing primary care medical services to those communities.
372	372	C. To be eligible to participate in the immigrant
373	373	primary care physician readiness pathway, a qualified immigrant
374	374	international medical graduate shall:
375	375	(1) receive a certificate of acceleration
376	376	program completion based on that individual's skills,
377	377	participation, experience and other prerequisites set by the
378	378	department, as demonstrated during the individual's
379	379	participation in the immigrant health care professional
380	380	acceleration program;
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409	409	(2) have attained educational commission for
410	410	foreign medical graduates certification, a substantially
411	411	similar certification or a generally recognized and accepted
412	412	alternative evaluation of medical training as approved by the
413	413	department;
414	414	(3) have completed a post-graduate training
415	415	program in a country outside of the United States and Canada
416	416	that is substantially similar to a United States residency
417	417	program accredited by the accrediting council;
418	418	(4) have been licensed to practice medicine in
419	419	a country other than the United States or Canada for at least
420	420	three years; and
421	421	(5) commit to practicing as a primary care
422	422	physician for three years in an underserved community in New
423	423	Mexico post-licensure, not including time spent participating
424	424	in a New Mexico residency program, which service shall be
425	425	counted as served concurrently with any other commitment for
426	426	service in an underserved community in New Mexico accrued
427	427	during participation in the immigrant health care professional
428	428	acceleration program.
429	429	SECTION 5. [NEW MATERIAL] IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE
430	430	PROFESSIONAL ACCELERATION PROGRAM--IMMIGRANT PRIMARY CARE
431	431	PHYSICIAN READINESS PATHWAY--PARTICIPATION SELECTION
432	432	CRITERIA.--The department shall establish criteria for
433	433	selection of individuals to participate in the immigrant health
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462	462	care professional acceleration program and the immigrant
463	463	primary care physician readiness pathway. In addition to
464	464	meeting the educational and professional experience
465	465	requirements, other participant eligibility criteria for
466	466	selection shall include an underemployed immigrant health care
467	467	worker's:
468	468	A. demonstrated interest in serving in one of New
469	469	Mexico's underserved communities;
470	470	B. personal connections or ties to New Mexico;
471	471	C. experience, skills or cultural competencies
472	472	required in New Mexico's health care workforce; and
473	473	D. education, experience or skills in areas of
474	474	practice that are in-demand statewide or in a county or region
475	475	within New Mexico, according to available labor market
476	476	information.
477	477	SECTION 6. [NEW MATERIAL] IMMIGRANT PRIMARY CARE
478	478	RESIDENCY GRANT.--
479	479	A. The department, in partnership with
480	480	department-approved health care education programs, shall
481	481	establish and maintain an immigrant primary care residency
482	482	grant to support primary care residency positions in New Mexico
483	483	designated for eligible qualified immigrant international
484	484	medical graduates.
485	485	B. To be eligible to receive grant funding, a
486	486	health care education program applicant shall:
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515	515	(1) be a medical education program in a
516	516	program approved by the accrediting council as provided in the
517	517	Immigrant Health Care Workforce Development Act;
518	518	(2) be located in New Mexico; and
519	519	(3) identify each qualified immigrant
520	520	international medical graduate designated to fill a funded
521	521	primary care residency position.
522	522	C. As a condition of grant approval, each grant
523	523	recipient shall agree to the following:
524	524	(1) a grant awarded pursuant to this section
525	525	shall not supplant an existing local, state, federal or private
526	526	funding support, if any, of residency positions;
527	527	(2) a grant recipient shall not reduce its
528	528	residency program's approved residency quota, measured as an
529	529	average of its three prior-year primary care residency quotas,
530	530	not including other residency positions funded by the immigrant
531	531	primary care residency grant;
532	532	(3) a grant recipient shall not in any way
533	533	replace its residency program's primary care residency
534	534	positions with designated qualified immigrant international
535	535	medical graduate residency positions;
536	536	(4) a grant recipient's program shall not
537	537	violate the Human Rights Act;
538	538	(5) a grant recipient's program shall not
539	539	establish criteria for the residencies that exceed reasonable
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568	568	requirements or expectations for other residency applicants in
569	569	the same or a substantially similar primary care residency
570	570	program;
571	571	(6) a grant recipient's program shall not
572	572	create undue or burdensome barriers for otherwise eligible
573	573	applicants to be eligible for a residency position; and
574	574	(7) a grant recipient shall fill the funded
575	575	residency positions with participants who have successfully
576	576	completed the primary care physician readiness pathway;
577	577	provided, however, that if there are fewer individuals who have
578	578	successfully completed the immigrant primary care physician
579	579	readiness pathway than available funding, residency grant
580	580	recipient managers may apply for a waiver to fill the funded
581	581	residency position with a qualified immigrant international
582	582	medical graduate who meets the eligibility criteria for the
583	583	immigrant primary care physician readiness program. Waivers
584	584	shall be issued at the discretion of the secretary.
585	585	D. Priority shall be given to residency grant
586	586	applicants serving underserved communities.
587	587	SECTION 7. [NEW MATERIAL] IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE
588	588	DEVELOPMENT FUND CREATED.--The "immigrant health care workforce
589	589	development fund" is created as a nonreverting fund in the
590	590	state treasury. The fund consists of appropriations, gifts,
591	591	grants and donations to the fund. Money in the fund is subject
592	592	to appropriation by the legislature to the department to
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621	621	implement and administer the provisions of the Immigrant
622	622	Healthcare Workforce Development Act. Disbursements from the
623	623	fund shall be made by vouchers signed by the secretary or the
624	624	secretary's designee upon warrants signed by the secretary of
625	625	finance and administration.
626	626	SECTION 8. [NEW MATERIAL] ADVISORY COMMITTEE.--
627	627	A. The secretary shall appoint an "immigrant health
628	628	care workforce advisory committee" composed of no more than
629	629	fifteen individuals representing state agencies, medical
630	630	professional associations, community-based organizations,
631	631	graduate medical education providers and other relevant
632	632	stakeholders, including at least one qualified immigrant
633	633	international medical graduate and at least one internationally
634	634	educated nurse, both of whom shall have been licensed health
635	635	care providers in and residents of New Mexico.
636	636	B. Upon the request of the secretary, the immigrant
637	637	health care workforce advisory committee shall:
638	638	(1) advise the department on developing
639	639	streamlined pathways for underemployed immigrant health care
640	640	workers to provide health care services in New Mexico's
641	641	workforce;
642	642	(2) collaborate with appropriate state
643	643	regulatory and licensing agencies and other stakeholders toward
644	644	that goal; and
645	645	(3) assist and advise the department regarding
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674	674	matters in furtherance of the purposes of the Immigrant Health
675	675	Care Workforce Development Act.
676	676	C. Public members of the immigrant health care
677	677	workforce advisory committee are entitled to per diem and
678	678	mileage pursuant to the Per Diem and Mileage Act and shall
679	679	receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.
680	680	D. The department shall provide reports and
681	681	recommendations derived from the work of the immigrant health
682	682	care workforce advisory committee to the legislative finance
683	683	committee and other legislative committees as deemed
684	684	appropriate by the secretary.
685	685	SECTION 9. [NEW MATERIAL] RULES.--The department shall
686	686	adopt rules in accordance with the State Rules Act and as
687	687	necessary to carry out the provisions of the Immigrant Health
688	688	Care Workforce Development Act.
689	689	SECTION 10. Section 61-6-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1973,
690	690	Chapter 361, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
691	691	"61-6-6. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Medical Practice
692	692	Act:
693	693	A. "approved postgraduate training program for
694	694	physicians" means a program approved by the accreditation
695	695	council for graduate medical education, the American
696	696	osteopathic association or other board-approved program;
697	697	B. "board" means the New Mexico medical board;
698	698	C. "collaboration" means the process by which a
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727	727	licensed physician and a physician assistant jointly contribute
728	728	to the health care and medical treatment of patients; provided
729	729	that:
730	730	(1) each collaborator performs actions that
731	731	the collaborator is licensed or otherwise authorized to
732	732	perform; and
733	733	(2) collaboration shall not be construed to
734	734	require the physical presence of the licensed physician at the
735	735	time and place services are rendered;
736	736	D. "licensed physician" means a medical or
737	737	osteopathic physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act
738	738	to practice medicine in New Mexico;
739	739	E. "licensee" or "health care practitioner" means a
740	740	medical physician, osteopathic physician, physician assistant,
741	741	polysomnographic technologist, anesthesiologist assistant,
742	742	naturopathic doctor, podiatric physician or naprapath licensed
743	743	by the board to practice in New Mexico;
744	744	F. "medical college or school in good standing" for
745	745	medical physicians means a board-approved medical college or
746	746	school that has as high a standard as that required by the
747	747	association of American medical colleges and the council on
748	748	medical education of the American medical association; and for
749	749	osteopathic physicians means a college of osteopathic medicine
750	750	accredited by the commission of osteopathic college
751	751	accreditation;
752	752	.229694.1SA
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780	780	G. "medical student" means a student enrolled in a
781	781	board-approved medical college or school in good standing;
782	782	H. "physician assistant" means a health care
783	783	practitioner who is licensed by the board to practice as a
784	784	physician assistant and who provides services to patients with
785	785	the supervision of or in collaboration with a licensed
786	786	physician as set forth in rules promulgated by the board;
787	787	I. "qualified international medical graduate" means
788	788	a physician who has a medical degree or qualification from a
789	789	medical school located outside the United States and Canada
790	790	recognized by the world health organization or the world
791	791	directory of medical schools as provided in the Immigrant
792	792	Health Care Workforce Development Act;
793	793	[I.] J. "resident" means a graduate of a medical
794	794	college or school in good standing who is in training in a
795	795	board-approved and accredited residency training program in a
796	796	hospital or facility affiliated with an approved hospital and
797	797	who has been appointed to the position of "resident" or
798	798	"fellow" for the purpose of postgraduate medical training;
799	799	[J.] K. "the practice of medicine" consists of:
800	800	(1) advertising, holding out to the public or
801	801	representing in any manner that one is authorized to practice
802	802	medicine or to practice health care that is under the authority
803	803	of the board in this state;
804	804	(2) offering or undertaking to administer,
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833	833	dispense or prescribe a drug or medicine for the use of another
834	834	person, except as authorized pursuant to a professional or
835	835	occupational licensing statute set forth in Chapter 61 NMSA
836	836	1978;
837	837	(3) offering or undertaking to give or
838	838	administer, dispense or prescribe a drug or medicine for the
839	839	use of another person, except as directed by a licensed
840	840	physician;
841	841	(4) offering or undertaking to perform an
842	842	operation or procedure upon a person;
843	843	(5) offering or undertaking to diagnose,
844	844	correct or treat in any manner or by any means, methods,
845	845	devices or instrumentalities any disease, illness, pain, wound,
846	846	fracture, infirmity, deformity, defect or abnormal physical or
847	847	mental condition of a person;
848	848	(6) offering medical peer review, utilization
849	849	review or diagnostic service of any kind that directly
850	850	influences patient care, except as authorized pursuant to a
851	851	professional or occupational licensing statute set forth in
852	852	Chapter 61 NMSA 1978; or
853	853	(7) acting as the representative or agent of a
854	854	person in doing any of the things listed in this subsection;
855	855	[K.] L. "the practice of medicine across state
856	856	lines" means:
857	857	(1) the rendering of a written or otherwise
858	858	.229694.1SA
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886	886	documented medical opinion concerning diagnosis or treatment of
887	887	a patient within this state by a physician located outside this
888	888	state as a result of transmission of individual patient data by
889	889	electronic, telephonic or other means from within this state to
890	890	the physician or the physician's agent; or
891	891	(2) the rendering of treatment to a patient
892	892	within this state by a physician located outside this state as
893	893	a result of transmission of individual patient data by
894	894	electronic, telephonic or other means from within this state to
895	895	the physician or the physician's agent;
896	896	[L.] M. "sexual contact" means touching the primary
897	897	genital area, groin, anus, buttocks or breast of a patient or
898	898	allowing a patient to touch another's primary genital area,
899	899	groin, anus, buttocks or breast in a manner that is commonly
900	900	recognized as outside the scope of acceptable medical or health
901	901	care practice;
902	902	[M.] N. "sexual penetration" means sexual
903	903	intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio or anal intercourse, whether
904	904	or not there is any emission, or introducing any object into
905	905	the genital or anal openings of another in a manner that is
906	906	commonly recognized as outside the scope of acceptable medical
907	907	or health care practice; [and ]
908	908	O. "underserved community" means a New Mexico area
909	909	or population included in the list of designated primary
910	910	medical care health professional shortage areas, medically
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939	939	underserved areas or medically underserved populations
940	940	maintained and updated by the United States department of
941	941	health and human services or any state equivalent thereof; and
942	942	[N.] P. "United States" means the fifty states, its
943	943	territories and possessions and the District of Columbia."
944	944	SECTION 11. Section 61-6-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1923,
945	945	Chapter 44, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
946	946	"61-6-11. PHYSICIAN LICENSURE.--
947	947	A. The board may consider for licensure a person
948	948	who is of good moral character, is a graduate of an accredited
949	949	United States or Canadian medical or osteopathic medical
950	950	school, has passed an examination approved by the board and has
951	951	completed two years of an approved postgraduate training
952	952	program for physicians.
953	953	B. An applicant who has not completed two years of
954	954	an approved postgraduate training program for physicians, but
955	955	who otherwise meets all other licensing requirements, may
956	956	present evidence to the board of the applicant's other
957	957	professional experience for consideration by the board in lieu
958	958	of the approved postgraduate training program. The board
959	959	shall, in its sole discretion, determine if the professional
960	960	experience is substantially equivalent to the required approved
961	961	postgraduate training program for physicians.
962	962	C. A graduate of a board-approved medical or
963	963	osteopathic medical school located outside the United States or
964	964	.229694.1SA
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992	992	Canada may be granted a license to practice medicine in New
993	993	Mexico, provided the applicant presents evidence to the board
994	994	that the applicant is a person of good moral character and
995	995	provided that the applicant presents satisfactory evidence to
996	996	the board that the applicant has successfully passed an
997	997	examination as required by the board and has successfully
998	998	completed two years of postgraduate medical training in an
999	999	approved postgraduate training program for physicians. A
1000	1000	graduate of a medical school located outside the United States
1001	1001	who successfully completes at least two years of an approved
1002	1002	postgraduate training program for physicians at or affiliated
1003	1003	with an institution located in New Mexico prior to December 30,
1004	1004	2007 and who meets the other requirements of this section may
1005	1005	also be granted a license to practice medicine.
1006	1006	D. The board may issue to an applicant who is a
1007	1007	qualified international medical graduate a provisional license
1008	1008	to practice medicine valid for a period not to exceed two years
1009	1009	if the applicant submits evidence acceptable to the board that
1010	1010	the applicant:
1011	1011	(1) has graduated from a legally chartered
1012	1012	medical school outside of the United States and Canada
1013	1013	recognized by the world health organization or the world
1014	1014	directory of medical schools;
1015	1015	(2) has been licensed or otherwise authorized
1016	1016	to practice medicine in a country other than the United States
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1020	1020	1
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1045	1045	and has not been out of practice for more than two years;
1046	1046	(3) has a valid certificate issued by the
1047	1047	educational commission for foreign medical graduates or other
1048	1048	credential evaluation service approved by the board; provided,
1049	1049	however, that the board may waive certification at the board's
1050	1050	discretion if the applicant is unable to obtain the required
1051	1051	documentation from a noncooperative country;
1052	1052	(4) has achieved a passing score on both step
1053	1053	1 and step 2 clinical knowledge of the United States medical
1054	1054	licensing examination;
1055	1055	(5) has entered into an agreement with a
1056	1056	medical care facility that provides an assessment and
1057	1057	evaluation program designed to develop, assess and evaluate the
1058	1058	physician's nonclinical skills and familiarity with standards
1059	1059	appropriate for medical practice in New Mexico according to
1060	1060	criteria developed or approved by the board, which shall
1061	1061	promulgate rules regarding these standards;
1062	1062	(6) has an offer of full-time employment from
1063	1063	the medical care facility identified in Paragraph (5) of this
1064	1064	subsection after the board issues a license pursuant to this
1065	1065	subsection; and
1066	1066	(7) has satisfied any other criteria that the
1067	1067	board may require for issuance of a provisional license
1068	1068	pursuant to this subsection.
1069	1069	E. An individual who successfully obtains a license
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1098	1098	pursuant to Subsection D of this section and practices under
1099	1099	that license until the license's expiration shall be eligible
1100	1100	to apply for a renewable two-year restricted license to
1101	1101	practice medicine in an underserved community in New Mexico.
1102	1102	The board may issue a renewable license to an applicant if the
1103	1103	applicant submits evidence acceptable to the board that the
1104	1104	applicant:
1105	1105	(1) has successfully completed the
1106	1106	participating facility's assessment and evaluation program
1107	1107	required pursuant to Subsection D of this section;
1108	1108	(2) has achieved a passing score on step 3 of
1109	1109	the United States medical licensing examination;
1110	1110	(3) has an offer of full-time employment from
1111	1111	a health care facility, including a public hospital, a for-
1112	1112	profit or nonprofit private hospital, a general or special
1113	1113	hospital, an outpatient facility, a freestanding birth center,
1114	1114	a nursing home, an intermediate care facility, an assisted
1115	1115	living facility or other health care facility at which medical
1116	1116	care is provided by state-licensed medical care practitioners,
1117	1117	in an underserved community in New Mexico; and
1118	1118	(4) has no disciplinary actions or pending
1119	1119	investigations related to the applicant's practice under the
1120	1120	provisional license issued pursuant to Subsection D of this
1121	1121	section.
1122	1122	F. After at least two years of practice under a
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1151	1151	renewable two-year restricted license issued pursuant to
1152	1152	Subsection E of this section resulting in no disciplinary
1153	1153	actions or pending investigations, the board shall grant a
1154	1154	license to practice medicine to an internationally trained
1155	1155	physician who meets the other requirements of this section.
1156	1156	[D.] G. All applicants for licensure may be
1157	1157	required to appear personally before the board or a designated
1158	1158	agent for an interview.
1159	1159	[E.] H. An applicant for licensure by examination
1160	1160	shall not be granted a license if the applicant has taken the
1161	1161	examination in two or more steps and has failed to successfully
1162	1162	pass the final step within seven years of the date that the
1163	1163	first step was passed. An applicant for licensure who holds a
1164	1164	medical or osteopathic doctor degree and a doctoral degree in a
1165	1165	medically related field must successfully complete the entire
1166	1166	examination series within ten years from the date the first
1167	1167	step of the examination is passed. The board may, by rule,
1168	1168	establish exceptions to the time requirements of this
1169	1169	subsection.
1170	1170	[F.] I. Every applicant for licensure under this
1171	1171	section shall pay the fees required by Section 61-6-19 NMSA
1172	1172	1978.
1173	1173	[G.] J. The board may require fingerprints and
1174	1174	other information necessary for a state and national criminal
1175	1175	background check."
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1204	1204	SECTION 12. APPROPRIATION.--One million five hundred
1205	1205	thousand dollars ($1,500,000) is appropriated from the general
1206	1206	fund to the workforce solutions department for expenditure in
1207	1207	fiscal year 2026 to implement and administer the provisions of
1208	1208	the Immigrant Health Care Workforce Development Act, including
1209	1209	hiring three full-time-equivalent department staff and
1210	1210	providing program grants. Any unexpended or unencumbered
1211	1211	balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2026 shall revert
1212	1212	to the general fund.
1213	1213	SECTION 13. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
1214	1214	provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.
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