Senate Bill S7840

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7840
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an inter-
   nationally trained physician licensure pathway program
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative  intent.  The legislature finds that New York
 state is experiencing a critical shortage of physicians, particularly in
 primary care and in underserved and  rural  communities.  This  shortage
 limits  access  to  essential  healthcare  services,  exacerbates health
 disparities, and places an increasing burden on the existing  healthcare
 workforce.  At  the same time, New York is home to thousands of interna-
 tionally trained physicians who possess the education, skills, and expe-
 rience  necessary  to  provide  high-quality  medical   care.   However,
 outdated,  and  restrictive  licensing  requirements often prevent these
 highly qualified professionals from practicing  medicine,  resulting  in
 significant "brain waste" where capable medical professionals are under-
 employed  or  forced to leave the healthcare field altogether. It is the
 intent of this legislature to address both the  physician  shortage  and
 the underutilization of internationally trained medical professionals by
 establishing  a  streamlined  pathway to licensure. This initiative will
 allow qualified, foreign-trained physicians to contribute to the health-
 care system through supervised practice in  designated  shortage  areas,
 ultimately  leading to full licensure. By enacting this legislation, New
 York will expand access to healthcare, strengthen the medical workforce,
 and ensure that skilled immigrant professionals can fully contribute  to
 the well-being of our communities.
   §  2.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 6525-a to
 read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09564-01-5
 S. 7840                             2
 
              

   § 6525-A. INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED PHYSICIAN LICENSURE PATHWAY PROGRAM.
 1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A)  "INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED PHYSICIAN" SHALL MEAN A PHYSICIAN WHO IS
 LICENSED TO PRACTICE  MEDICINE  IN  ANOTHER  COUNTRY  MEETING  STANDARDS
 SATISFACTORY  TO THE STATE BOARD FOR MEDICINE AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
 COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS.
   (B) "PARTICIPATING  HEALTHCARE  FACILITY"  MEANS  FEDERALLY  QUALIFIED
 HEALTH  CENTERS,  COMMUNITY  HEALTH CENTERS, AND HOSPITALS OR HEALTHCARE
 FACILITIES LOCATED IN PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE AREAS, AS APPROVED BY THE STATE
 BOARD FOR MEDICINE.
   2. PERMITS LIMITED AS TO ELIGIBILITY, PRACTICE AND DURATION, SHALL  BE
 ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, AS FOLLOWS:
   (A)  AN  INTERNATIONALLY  TRAINED  PHYSICIAN  SHALL  BE ELIGIBLE FOR A
 LIMITED PERMIT PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (B) A PERMITTEE SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO PRACTICE  MEDICINE  ONLY  UNDER
 THE  SUPERVISION  OF  A  LICENSED  PHYSICIAN AND ONLY IN A PARTICIPATING
 HEALTHCARE FACILITY.
   (C) A LIMITED PERMIT SHALL BE VALID FOR TWO YEARS,  DURING  WHICH  THE
 PERFORMANCE OF THE PERMITTEE IS MENTORED, ASSESSED, AND EVALUATED BY THE
 SUPERVISING LICENSED PHYSICIAN.
   3. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE SUPERVISED PRACTICE PERIOD PURSU-
 ANT  TO  PARAGRAPH  (C)  OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, AN INTERNA-
 TIONALLY TRAINED PHYSICIAN SHALL BE GRANTED BY THE DEPARTMENT A TWO-YEAR
 RESTRICTED  LICENSE  ALLOWING  INDEPENDENT  PRACTICE  IN  PRIMARY  CARE,
 PSYCHIATRY,  OR  OTHER SPECIALTIES APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD FOR MEDI-
 CINE, WITHIN PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE AREAS AS DESIGNATED BY THE  STATE  BOARD
 FOR MEDICINE.
   4.  FOLLOWING  TWO YEARS OF PRACTICE WITH A RESTRICTED LICENSE GRANTED
 PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVISION  THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION,  AN  INTERNATIONALLY
 TRAINED  PHYSICIAN  SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO BE LICENSED PURSUANT TO SECTION
 SIXTY-FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR  OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY
 PROVISION OF LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY.
   5.  THE STATE BOARD FOR MEDICINE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT,
 AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, SHALL PROMULGATE ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS
 NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION, WHICH SHALL AT A MINI-
 MUM INCLUDE:
   (A) PROGRAM  STANDARDS  FOR  PARTICIPATING  HEALTHCARE  FACILITIES  TO
 MENTOR,  ASSESS, AND EVALUATE INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED PHYSICIANS WORKING
 UNDER LIMITED  PERMITS  ISSUED  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS
 SECTION;
   (B)  REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING HEALTHCARE FACILITIES TO ESTABLISH
 FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT  RELATIONSHIPS  WITH  THE  INTERNATIONALLY  TRAINED
 PHYSICIANS  WORKING UNDER LIMITED PERMITS ISSUED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 TWO OF THIS SECTION;
   (C) REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING  HEALTHCARE  FACILITIES  TO  SUBMIT
 EVIDENCE  OF  AN  INTERNATIONALLY  TRAINED  PHYSICIAN'S  ELIGIBILITY AND
 COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENTS  NECESSARY  FOR  THE  DEPARTMENT  TO  GRANT  A
 RESTRICTED LICENSE PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION; AND
   (D) REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE LICENSURE PATHWAY ESTAB-
 LISHED  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION, ENSURING CLARITY IN THE APPLICATION
 PROCESS, SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS, AND CRITERIA FOR PROGRESSION TO  FULL
 LICENSURE.
   6.  THE  STATE  BOARD  FOR  MEDICINE SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT ANNUALLY ON
 JANUARY FIFTH TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE ON THE STATUS  OF  THE
 LICENSURE  PATHWAY  ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, INCLUDING BUT
 S. 7840                             3
 
 NOT LIMITED TO, THE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED PHYSICIANS WHO ARE
 PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED IN THIS SECTION, THEIR SPECIAL-
 TY AND THE REGION THEY ARE SERVING.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.