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February 9, 2024 - Offered by Senator Tomczyk.
SB900-SSA1,1,6 1An Act to amend 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.), 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) and 448.974 (1) (a)
2(intro.); and to create 448.01 (3), 448.02 (4m), 448.04 (1) (br), 448.05 (2m),
3448.075, 448.40 (3), 448.971 (5) and 448.974 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to:
4provisional licenses to practice medicine and surgery for internationally
5trained physicians and physician assistants and granting rule-making
6authority.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates provisional licenses for certain internationally trained
physicians to practice as a physician in this state and provides that certain physician
assistants or physician associates who are licensed to practice in certain qualifying
countries may apply for and receive a license to practice as a physician assistant in
this state without having to satisfy certain educational requirements provided under
current law. Under the bill, provisional licenses to practice as a physician are
automatically converted into permanent licenses after the provisional license holder
practices in this state and maintains good standing for three consecutive years.
Under current law, the Medical Examining Board licenses and regulates
physicians. This bill provides that the Medical Examining Board may grant a

provisional license to practice as a physician to an applicant who meets certain
requirements, including: (1) the applicant has an offer for full-time employment as
a physician in this state from a federally qualified health center, a community health
center, a hospital, an ambulatory surgical center, or any other health care facility
approved by the Medical Examining Board; (2) the applicant has been granted a
medical doctorate or a substantially similar degree by an international medical
program; (3) the applicant has completed a residency program or a postgraduate
medical training program that is substantially similar to a residency program; (4)
the applicant has practiced as a fully licensed or otherwise authorized physician in
his or her country of practice for at least five years after completing a residency
program or a postgraduate medical training program that is substantially similar to
a residency program; (5) the applicant has practiced continuously as a physician in
his or her country of practice for at least one out of the five years immediately
preceding the date that the applicant submits an application for a provisional
license; (6) the applicant has been in good standing with the medical licensing or
regulatory agency of his or her country of practice for the five years preceding the
individual's application and does not have any pending disciplinary action before the
medical licensing or regulatory agency; (7) the applicant has obtained certification
by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates, a successor organization,
or another evaluation entity approved by the Medical Examining Board; (8) the
applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination
administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of
State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations; (9) the applicant has, or will
have prior to working as a physician in this state, a federal immigration status and
employment authorization that enables the applicant to work as a physician in this
state; and (10) the applicant possesses basic fluency in the English language. The
bill requires that any individual who holds a provisional license as a physician
submit to the Medical Examining Board every six months or upon request of the
board a statement certifying whether the individual is still employed as a physician
in this state and whether the individual has been subjected to professional discipline
as a result of the individual's practice. Under the bill, “international medical
program” is defined to mean any medical school, residency program, medical
internship program, or other program that is approved by the Educational
Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates or provides individuals with a medical
education or training outside the United States that is substantially similar to the
training required to qualify to practice medicine and surgery in this state.
Under current law, the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board is
attached to the Medical Examining Board and is responsible for the licensing and
regulation of physician assistants. The Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing
Board must issue licenses to practice as a physician assistant to any applicant who
is found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board and who satisfies
certain requirements including that the applicant has successfully completed an
educational program for physician assistants or physician associates that is
described under current law or has successfully passed the Physician Assistant
National Certifying Examination prior to January 1, 1986. This bill provides that

an applicant for a license as a physician assistant does not have to complete the
educational program described under current law if the applicant provides evidence
satisfactory to the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board that the
applicant is licensed as a physician assistant or physician associate in a qualified
country, that the applicant is in good standing with the licensing or regulatory
institution in the qualified country, that the applicant can speak fluently in the
English language, and that the applicant is lawfully admitted to work as a physician
assistant in the United States. Under the bill, “qualified country” is defined to mean
a country that the Physician Assistant Affiliated Credentialing Board determines by
rule has set educational requirements for obtaining a license to practice as a
physician assistant or physician associate in that country that are substantially
equivalent to the educational requirements for licensure as a physician assistant in
this state.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB900-SSA1,1 1Section 1 . 448.01 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,3,72 448.01 (3) “International medical program” means any medical school,
3residency program, medical internship program, or other program that is approved
4by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates or provides
5individuals with a medical education or training outside the United States that is
6substantially similar to the training required to qualify to practice medicine and
7surgery in this state.
SB900-SSA1,2 8Section 2. 448.02 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,3,139 448.02 (4m) International physicians. The board may suspend or revoke a
10license granted under s. 448.04 (1) (br) if a majority of the board determines that the
11holder of the license is no longer employed as a physician in this state by an employer
12described in s. 448.05 (2m) (a). The holder of the license shall be granted an
13opportunity to be heard prior to the board's determination.
SB900-SSA1,3 14Section 3 . 448.04 (1) (br) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,4,10
1448.04 (1) (br) Provisional license to practice medicine and surgery for
2international physicians.
The board may grant a provisional license to practice
3medicine and surgery for international physicians to an applicant who satisfies the
4requirements under s. 448.05 (2m). The holder of a provisional license granted under
5this paragraph may practice medicine and surgery only under the supervision of a
6physician who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery under par. (a). A
7provisional license to practice medicine and surgery under this paragraph shall be
8converted into a license to practice medicine and surgery under par. (a) after the
9provisional license holder practices medicine and surgery full-time in this state and
10maintains good standing for 3 consecutive years.
SB900-SSA1,4 11Section 4 . 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB900-SSA1,4,1412 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (f) and sub. (2m), an
13applicant for any class of license to practice medicine and surgery must supply
14evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
SB900-SSA1,5 15Section 5 . 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB900-SSA1,4,1816 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (c) to (f) and sub. (2m), an
17applicant for a license to practice medicine and surgery who is a graduate of a foreign
18medical college must supply evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
SB900-SSA1,6 19Section 6 . 448.05 (2m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,4,2320 448.05 (2m) Provisional license to practice medicine and surgery for
21international physicians
. An applicant for a provisional license to practice medicine
22and surgery for international physicians must supply evidence to the board that the
23applicant satisfies all of the following:
SB900-SSA1,5,324 (a) The applicant has an offer for full-time employment as a physician in this
25state from a federally qualified health center, as defined in s. 253.075 (1) (e), a

1community health center, as defined in s. 250.15 (1) (a), a hospital, as defined in s.
250.33 (2), an ambulatory surgical center, as defined in 42 CFR 416.2, or any other
3health care facility approved by the board.
SB900-SSA1,5,54 (b) The applicant has been granted a medical doctorate or a substantially
5similar degree by an international medical program.
SB900-SSA1,5,76 (c) The applicant has completed a residency program or a postgraduate medical
7training program that is substantially similar to a residency program.
SB900-SSA1,5,118 (d) The applicant has practiced as a fully licensed or otherwise authorized
9physician in his or her country of practice for at least 5 years after completing a
10residency program or a postgraduate medical training program that is substantially
11similar to a residency program.
SB900-SSA1,5,1512 (dm) The applicant has practiced continuously as a physician in his or her
13country of practice for at least one out of the 5 years immediately preceding the date
14that the applicant submits an application for a provisional license under s. 448.04
15(1) (br).
SB900-SSA1,5,1916 (e) The applicant has been in good standing with the medical licensing or
17regulatory agency of his or her country of practice for the 5 years preceding the
18individual's application and does not have any pending disciplinary action before the
19medical licensing or regulatory agency.
SB900-SSA1,5,2220 (em) The applicant has obtained certification by the Educational Council for
21Foreign Medical Graduates, a successor organization, or another evaluation entity
22approved by the board.
SB900-SSA1,5,2523 (f) The applicant has passed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing
24Examination administered by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the
25Federation of State Medical Boards, or their successor organizations.
SB900-SSA1,6,3
1(g) The applicant has, or will have prior to working as a physician in this state,
2a federal immigration status and employment authorization that enables the
3applicant to work as a physician in this state.
SB900-SSA1,6,44 (h) The applicant possesses basic fluency in the English language.
SB900-SSA1,7 5Section 7. 448.075 of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,6,12 6448.075 Provisional licenses. Every 6 months or upon request of the board,
7the holder of a provisional license under s. 448.04 (1) (br) shall submit to the board
8a statement certifying whether the license holder is still employed as a physician in
9this state and whether the license holder has been subjected to professional
10discipline as a result of the license holder's practice. If the license holder has been
11subject to professional discipline, the license holder shall submit to the board a
12description of the circumstances of the discipline.
SB900-SSA1,8 13Section 8. 448.40 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,6,1514 448.40 (3) The board may promulgate rules defining “substantially similar”
15under s. 448.05 (2m).
SB900-SSA1,9 16Section 9. 448.971 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,6,2117 448.971 (5) “Qualified country” means a country that the board determines by
18rule has set educational requirements for obtaining a license to practice as a
19physician assistant or physician associate in that country that are substantially
20equivalent to the educational requirements for licensure as a physician assistant
21under s. 448.974 (1) (a) 3. a.
SB900-SSA1,10 22Section 10. 448.974 (1) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB900-SSA1,7,223 448.974 (1) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in par. pars. (b) and (c), the board
24shall grant an initial license to practice as a physician assistant to any applicant who

1is found qualified by three-fourths of the members of the board and satisfies all of
2the following requirements, as determined by the board:
SB900-SSA1,11 3Section 11. 448.974 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
SB900-SSA1,7,94 448.974 (1) (c) Paragraph (a) 3. does not apply to an applicant who provides
5evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is licensed as a physician
6assistant or physician associate in a qualified country, that the applicant is in good
7standing with the licensing or regulatory institution in the qualified country, that the
8applicant can speak fluently in the English language, and that the applicant is
9lawfully admitted to work as a physician assistant in the United States.
SB900-SSA1,12 10Section 12 . Effective date.
SB900-SSA1,7,1111 (1) This act takes effect on January 1, 2025.
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