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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 476
Sponsored by Senator JAMA (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act says licensing boards have to train their staff and that the OMB cannot set a
time limit for someone to complete the USMLE. The Act also tells DHS to make a grant program
to help people who went to school out of state get jobs in this state. (Flesch Readability Score: 78.2).
Requires professional licensing boards to provide culturally responsive training to specified staff
members and publish guidance on pathways to professional authorization for internationally edu-
catedindividuals.
Prohibits the Oregon Medical Board from imposing a time limitation on the completion of the
United States Medical Licensing Examination. Allows the board to issue a limited license to practice
medicine to specified individuals for practice under the supervision of another licensed physician.
Establishes the Internationally Educated Workforce Reentry Grant Program within the Depart-
ment of Human Services to award grants to specified entities that provide eligible career guidance
and support services to internationally educated residents of Oregon who are seeking to enter the
Oregon workforce in certain professions.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to professional workforce; creating new provisions; amending ORS 677.132; and declaring
anemergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
PROFESSIONAL LICENSING BOARDS
SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section:
(a) “Occupational or professional service” means a service:
(A) That an individual must possess a license, certificate or other form of authorization
to provide under the laws of this state; and
(B) Over which a professional licensing board has regulatory oversight.
(b) “Professional licensing board” means a state agency or board that licenses, certifies
or otherwise authorizes individuals to provide an occupational or professional service.
(2) A professional licensing board shall:
(a) Ensure that any staff of the professional licensing board who interact with interna-
tionally educated individuals through the licensure, certification or other authorization pro-
cess receive culturally responsive training approved by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee
Advancement.
(b) Develop and publish on a website operated by or on behalf of the professional licensing
board clear and easily understandable guidance regarding pathways to licensure, certification
or other authorization issued by the professional licensing board for internationally educated
individuals. The guidance developed under this paragraph must include information on eligi-
bility requirements, processes, costs and timelines for licensure, certification or other au-
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 3398 SB476
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thorization.
(3) A professional licensing board may adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this
section.
SECTION 2. A professional licensing board shall publish the guidance described in section
1 of this 2025 Act not later than July 1, 2026.
SECTION 3.(1) Section 1 of this 2025 Act becomes operative on January 1, 2026.
(2) A professional licensing board may take any action before the operative date specified
in subsection (1) of this section that is necessary to enable the professional licensing board
to exercise, on and after the operative date specified in subsection (1) of this section, all of
the duties, functions and powers conferred on the professional licensing board by section 1
of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 4. Section 5 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS chapter 677.
SECTION 5.The Oregon Medical Board may not impose a limitation on the amount of
time in which an applicant for a license to practice medicine must complete all steps of the
United States Medical Licensing Examination.
SECTION 6. Section 5 of this 2025 Act applies to applications received by the Oregon
Medical Board on or after the operative date specified in section 8 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 7. ORS 677.132 is amended to read:
677.132. (1)(a) When a need exists, the Oregon Medical Board may issue a limited license for a
specified period to an applicant who possesses the qualifications prescribed by the rules of the
board.
(b) The board shall supervise the activities of the holder of a limited license and impose re-
strictions as the board finds necessary.
(c) Each person holding a limited license under this subsection must obtain an unlimited license
at the earliest time possible. The board shall refuse to renew a limited license issued under this
subsection at the end of a period specified by rule if the board determines that the holder of the
limited license is not pursuing diligently an attempt to become qualified for an unlimited license.
(d) The board by rule shall prescribe the types of and limitations upon licenses issued under this
subsection.
(2)(a) The board may issue a limited license to practice medicine in this state to a physician
who is licensed to practice medicine in another state or country and who:
(A) Holds a degree of Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or its equivalent;
(B) Is appointed as a full-time professor of medicine at a school of medicine in this state;
(C) Is in good standing with the state or country from which the physician holds a license to
practice medicine;
(D) Meets any requirements established by rule of the board;
(E) Pays the license fee established by rule of the board;
(F) Submits to the board letters that attest to the applicant’s distinguished status and that are
written by:
(i) The dean of the school of medicine where the applicant is a full-time professor of medicine;
(ii) The department chairpersons at the school of medicine who are directly involved in the
applicant’s faculty assignments; and
(iii) At least five of the applicant’s academic colleagues who work outside of this state and who
are nationally or internationally recognized experts in the specialty area in which the applicant
practices or are current or former deans of schools of medicine;
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(G) Maintains active membership in at least two medical specialty societies that restrict mem-
bership based on academic or area-of-practice criteria; and
(H) Has published at least two medical papers in peer-reviewed journals.
(b) The board may establish by rule other criteria or qualifications that a physician applying for
the limited license described in this subsection must meet.
(c) A physician who is issued the limited license described in this subsection may practice
medicine only in conjunction with a full-time appointment as a professor of medicine. A limited li-
cense is valid only so long as the physician maintains the full-time appointment.
(3)(a) The board may issue a limited license to practice medicine to an applicant who:
(A) Has passed Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination;
(B) Is certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, or its
successor organization, or by another credential evaluation service, that is approved by the
board by rule; and
(C) Submits to the board the applicant’s fingerprints for purposes of a state or nation-
wide criminal records check under ORS 181A.195.
(b) An individual licensed under this subsection may practice medicine under the super-
vision of a physician who holds an unlimited license to practice medicine in this state and
who practices in the same or substantially similar clinical specialty.The individual and the
supervising physician shall submit to the board a practice agreement that meets the re-
quirements established by the board by rule.
(c) The board may establish a limit on the number of individuals licensed under this
subsection that a physician described in paragraph (b) of this subsection may supervise.
(d) A license issued under this section may be renewed.
[(3)] (4) A person licensed under this section is subject to all the provisions of this chapter and
to all the rules of the board and has the same duties and responsibilities and is subject to the same
penalties and sanctions as any other person licensed under this chapter.
[(4)] (5) The board may not issue more than eight licenses under subsection (2) of this section
in a four-year period. The board shall ensure by rule the availability of at least two licenses in each
year in a four-year period.
SECTION 8. (1) Section 5 of this 2025 Act and the amendments to ORS 677.132 by section
7 of this 2025 Act become operative on January 1, 2026.
(2) The Oregon Medical Board may take any action before the operative date specified in
subsection (1) of this section that is necessary to enable the board to exercise, on and after
the operative date specified in subsection (1) of this section, all of the duties, functions and
powers conferred on the board by section 5 of this 2025 Act and the amendments to ORS
677.132 by section 7 of this 2025 Act.
INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED WORKFORCE REENTRY GRANT PROGRAM
SECTION 9.(1) The Internationally Educated Workforce Reentry Grant Program is es-
tablished within the Department of Human Services.
(2) Under the program, the department shall award grants to not-for-profit organizations,
post-secondary institutions of education and employers who provide eligible career guidance
and support services to internationally educated residents of Oregon who are seeking to en-
ter the Oregon workforce in an eligible profession. In determining grant amounts under this
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subsection, the department, in consultation with the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Ad-
vancement, shall develop a formula that uses factors including, but not limited to, the ge-
ographic distribution of internationally educated individuals and the regional availability of
resources and services for internationally educated individuals.
(3) In administering the program, the department shall:
(a) Collaborate with the office to establish requirements for contracting and reporting
by grant recipients under subsection (2) of this section;
(b) Use the program to assist in coordinating the planning, development and implemen-
tation of a comprehensive system for integrating individuals who are internationally edu-
cated in eligible professions;
(c) Partner with community organizations that work with internationally educated pop-
ulations to develop and maintain a voluntary roster of internationally educated populations
entering the Oregon workforce; and
(d) Make publicly available summary reports that show the aggregate number and dis-
tribution, by geography and specialty, of the internationally educated population in Oregon.
(4) The department, in consultation with the office, may adopt rules necessary to imple-
ment this section.
(5) As used in this section:
(a) “Eligible career guidance and support services” means:
(A) Educational and career navigation services, including but not limited to information
on training and licensing requirements for an eligible profession;
(B) Guidance on determining best career pathways, based on individual skills, experience,
resources and interests;
(C) Support in becoming proficient in eligible industry-specific English;
(D) Support in becoming proficient in the use of information technology, including but
not limited to computer skills and the use of electronic technology;
(E) Support for increasing knowledge of and familiarity with health care and educational
systems;
(F) Support for trauma-informed care;
(G) Support for clinical preparation;
(H) Culturally responsive training;
(I) Support for job placement; and
(J) Financial support for internationally educated residents.
(b) “Eligible profession” means:
(A) Certified nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse or registered nurse;
(B) Physician;
(C) Pharmacist;
(D) Behavioral health and mental health worker; and
(E) Nurse, school counselor or teacher at a school.
(c) “Financial support” means:
(A) Tuition, fees and other costs incurred in relation to training, licensing or creden-
tialing;
(B) Living wages during the training, licensing or credentialing process;
(C) Costs associated with exam preparation, including but not limited to review courses
and study and exam materials; and
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(D) Application fees.
SECTION 10. No later than June 30, 2026, the Department of Human Services shall begin
to award grants under the Internationally Educated Workforce Reentry Grant Program es-
tablished under section 9 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 11.Section 10 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027.
SECTION 12.No later than September 1, 2028, the Department of Human Services shall
prepare and submit a report in the manner provided in ORS 192.245 on the implementation
and success of the Internationally Educated Workforce Reentry Grant Program established
in section 9 of this 2025 Act, which may include recommendations for legislation, to the in-
terim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to labor and business. The report
submitted under this section must include information regarding:
(1) The total number of internationally educated professionals who were served by the
program;
(2) The specific types of direct services provided to professionals, including but not lim-
ited to the costs of providing the services and the number of professionals who received the
services;
(3) The total amount of financial assistance provided to professionals;
(4) The types of financial assistance that were provided to professionals; and
(5) Any identified barriers that prevent internationally educated professionals from par-
ticipating in the Oregon workforce.
SECTION 13. Section 12 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2029.
SECTION 14.In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appro-
priated to the Department of Human Services, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out
of the General Fund, the amount of $10,000,000 for the purpose of operating the Interna-
tionally Educated Workforce Reentry Grant Program established in section 9 of this 2025
Act.
CAPTIONS
SECTION 15.The unit captions used in this 2025 Act are provided only for the conven-
ience of the reader and do not become part of the statutory law of this state or express any
legislative intent in the enactment of this 2025 Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 16.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
July 1, 2025.
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