Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB296 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R1171 BEE-F
2	2	By: Harris Davila H.B. No. 296
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the issuance of a license to practice medicine to
10	10	certain applicants licensed or educated in a foreign country.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Sections 155.012 and 155.013 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 155.012. ISSUANCE OF LICENSE TO APPLICANT LICENSED TO
15	15	PRACTICE MEDICINE IN CERTAIN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. Notwithstanding
16	16	Sections 155.003, 155.004, 155.005, and 155.051, the board shall
17	17	issue a license to practice medicine to an applicant who presents
18	18	proof satisfactory to the board that the applicant:
19	19	(1) is a resident of and licensed in good standing to
20	20	practice medicine in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New
21	21	Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, or the United
22	22	Kingdom;
23	23	(2) has been granted a degree of doctor of medicine or
24	24	a substantially similar degree by a program of medical education
25	25	determined by the board to be in good standing in accordance with
26	26	board rule;
27	27	(3) has:
28	28	(A) completed a residency or substantially
29	29	similar postgraduate medical training in the applicant's country of
30	30	residence; or
31	31	(B) practiced as a medical professional
32	32	performing the duties of a physician in the applicant's country of
33	33	residence for not less than two years;
34	34	(4) has proficiency in the English language; and
35	35	(5) is authorized under federal law to work in the
36	36	United States.
37	37	Sec. 155.013. ISSUANCE OF LICENSE TO GRADUATE OF CERTAIN
38	38	BOARD-APPROVED FOREIGN MEDICAL PROGRAMS. (a) Notwithstanding
39	39	Sections 155.003, 155.004, and 155.005, the board shall issue a
40	40	license to practice medicine to an applicant who satisfies:
41	41	(1) the eligibility requirements of this section; and
42	42	(2) the examination requirements of Section 155.051.
43	43	(b) To be eligible for a license under this section, an
44	44	applicant must present proof satisfactory to the board that the
45	45	applicant:
46	46	(1) has been granted a degree of doctor of medicine or
47	47	a substantially similar degree by a foreign medical program
48	48	approved under Subsection (c);
49	49	(2) is licensed in good standing to practice medicine
50	50	in another country;
51	51	(3) has:
52	52	(A) completed a residency or substantially
53	53	similar postgraduate medical training in the applicant's country of
54	54	licensure; or
55	55	(B) practiced as a medical professional
56	56	performing the duties of a physician in the applicant's country of
57	57	licensure for not less than two years;
58	58	(4) has proficiency in the English language; and
59	59	(5) is authorized under federal law to work in the
60	60	United States.
61	61	(c) The board shall adopt rules regarding the approval of
62	62	foreign medical programs for purposes of this section. Rules
63	63	adopted under this subsection must provide that a foreign medical
64	64	program is eligible to apply under this section only if the program
65	65	is a medical school, residency program, medical internship program,
66	66	or other entity that provides medical education or training outside
67	67	of the United States that is substantially similar to the education
68	68	or training provided by a medical school described by Section
69	69	155.003(a)(4).
70	70	(d) The board shall approve an application under this
71	71	section not later than the 120th day after the date the application
72	72	is submitted unless:
73	73	(1) the board determines the applicant does not meet
74	74	the eligibility requirements described by Subsection (c); or
75	75	(2) the board finds by clear and convincing evidence
76	76	that the majority of the program's graduates are not likely to
77	77	provide medical care that satisfies applicable board standards
78	78	relating to safety, competency, or professional conduct in the
79	79	practice of medicine.
80	80	(e) A foreign medical program may appeal the board's denial
81	81	of the program's application under this section. The appeal is
82	82	considered to be a contested case under Chapter 2001, Government
83	83	Code.
84	84	(f) The board shall approve for purposes of this section a
85	85	foreign medical program if at least five graduates of the program
86	86	have been issued a license to practice medicine under Section
87	87	155.1015(c).
88	88	(g) The board shall maintain on the board's Internet website
89	89	a list of all foreign medical programs approved under this section
90	90	and provide a copy of the list on request.
91	91	SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is
92	92	amended by adding Section 155.1015 to read as follows:
93	93	Sec. 155.1015. ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL LICENSE TO CERTAIN
94	94	FOREIGN MEDICAL PROGRAM GRADUATES WITH OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT. (a)
95	95	On application, the board shall issue a provisional license to
96	96	practice medicine to an applicant who:
97	97	(1) has been granted a degree of doctor of medicine or
98	98	a substantially similar degree by a foreign program of medical
99	99	education determined to be in good standing in accordance with
100	100	board rule;
101	101	(2) is licensed in good standing to practice medicine
102	102	in another country;
103	103	(3) has:
104	104	(A) completed a residency or substantially
105	105	similar postgraduate medical training in the applicant's country of
106	106	licensure; or
107	107	(B) practiced as a medical professional
108	108	performing the duties of a physician in the applicant's country of
109	109	licensure for not less than two years;
110	110	(4) has proficiency in the English language;
111	111	(5) is authorized under federal law to work in the
112	112	United States;
113	113	(6) satisfies the examination requirements of Section
114	114	155.051; and
115	115	(7) has been offered employment in this state as a
116	116	physician by a person who provides health care services in the
117	117	normal course of business, including a health system, hospital,
118	118	hospital-based facility, freestanding emergency facility, or
119	119	urgent care clinic.
120	120	(b) A provisional license issued under this section expires
121	121	on the earlier of:
122	122	(1) the date the board issues the provisional license
123	123	holder a license under this subtitle or denies the provisional
124	124	license holder's application for a license under Subsection (c); or
125	125	(2) the third anniversary of the date the provisional
126	126	license was issued.
127	127	(c) On application, the board shall issue a license under
128	128	this subtitle to the holder of a provisional license under this
129	129	section if the provisional license holder:
130	130	(1) will have practiced under the provisional license
131	131	for at least three years at the time the license will be issued; and
132	132	(2) satisfies any other requirement under board rule
133	133	for the issuance of a license under this subsection.
134	134	SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas
135	135	Medical Board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement Sections
136	136	155.012, 155.013, and 155.1015, Occupations Code, as added by this
137	137	Act.
138	138	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.