An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Commission Regarding Foreign-trained Physicians Living in Maine to Establish a Sponsorship Program for Internationally Trained Physicians

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 105
H.P. 70 House of Representatives, January 8, 2025
An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Commission
Regarding Foreign-trained Physicians Living in Maine to Establish
a Sponsorship Program for Internationally Trained Physicians
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MATHIESON of Kittery.
Cosponsored by Representative: CLOUTIER of Lewiston.

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1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §12103-B is enacted to read:
3§12103-B. International Medical Graduates Sponsorship Program
41. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
5 following terms have the following meanings.
6 A. "Internationally trained physician" has the same meaning as in Title 32, section
7 3271, subsection 8, paragraph A, subparagraph (1).
8 B. "Physician shortage area" has the same meaning as in Title 32, section 3271,
9 subsection 8, paragraph A, subparagraph (4).
10 C. "Sponsoring institution" has the same meaning as in Title 32, section 3271,
11 subsection 8, paragraph A, subparagraph (5).
122. Program established. The International Medical Graduates Sponsorship Program,
13 referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the authority to make
14 grants to sponsoring institutions to provide an alternative license pathway for
15 internationally trained physicians in this State and to expand the number of physicians
16 practicing in physician shortage areas. The authority shall administer the program in
17 accordance with the requirements of this section.
183. Administration. Under the program, the authority shall use available funding to
19 establish up to a total of 10 positions annually at one or more sponsoring institutions for
20 the employment and training of internationally trained physicians issued a temporary
21 educational license to practice medicine pursuant to Title 32, section 3271, subsection 8,
22 paragraph B. The authority shall enter into an agreement with each sponsoring institution
23 that seeks to participate in the program.
244. Application. An internationally trained physician shall apply directly to a rural
25 graduate medical education collaborative in the State for screening and placement by using
26 a process and qualifying criteria developed by a rural graduate medical education
27 collaborative in the State.
285. Fund created. A nonlapsing, interest-earning, revolving fund under the jurisdiction
29 of the authority, known as the International Medical Graduates Sponsorship Program Fund
30 and referred to in this subsection as "the fund," is created to carry out the purposes of this
31 section. Any unexpended balance in the fund carries over for continued use under this
32 section. The authority may receive, invest and expend on behalf of the fund money from
33 gifts, grants, bequests and donations or other sources in addition to money appropriated or
34 allocated by the State. Money in the fund must be invested by the authority, as provided
35 by law, with the earned income to be added to the fund. Money received by the authority
36 on behalf of the fund must be used for reasonable administrative expenses and for the
37 purposes of this section.
386. Rules. The authority may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. Rules
39 adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter
40 375, subchapter 2-A.
41Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §3271, sub-§8 is enacted to read:
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18. Alternative license pathway for internationally trained physicians.
2 Notwithstanding any other requirements of this chapter, the board shall provide an
3 alternative license pathway for an internationally trained physician who has been licensed
4 or otherwise authorized to practice medicine in a country other than the United States and
5 who meets the requirements of this subsection to apply for and obtain a full and unrestricted
6 license to practice medicine in this State.
7 A. For the purposes of this subsection, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
8 following terms have the following meanings.
9 (1) "Internationally trained physician" means a physician who has received a
10 degree of doctor of medicine or its equivalent from a legally chartered medical
11 school outside the United States recognized by the World Health Organization or
12 its successor organization; who has been licensed or otherwise authorized to
13 practice medicine in a country other than the United States; and who has practiced
14 medicine for at least one year.
15 (2) "Medical licensing examination" means the United States Medical Licensing
16 Examination or its successor examination.
17 (3) "Participating health care facility" means a health care facility approved by the
18 board that provides a program for internationally trained physicians according to
19 criteria developed or approved by the board and that provides medical care in a
20 physician shortage area.
21 (4) "Physician shortage area" means a geographic region or population in the State
22 experiencing a shortage of physicians relative to population and need, as
23 determined by the board.
24 (5) "Sponsoring institution" means any of the 4 hospitals in this State accredited
25 by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education on January 1, 2024.
26 B. An internationally trained physician may apply for a temporary educational license
27 to practice medicine for a renewable 2-year term if a sponsoring institution and the
28 internationally trained physician submit evidence acceptable to the board that the
29 internationally trained physician:
30 (1) Has lived in this State for at least 12 months;
31 (2) Has a valid certificate issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign
32 Medical Graduates or its successor organization or other credential evaluation
33 service approved by the board, except that the board may waive such certification
34 at its discretion when the internationally trained physician is unable to obtain the
35 required documentation;
36 (3) Has achieved a passing score on both Step 1 and on Step 2 CK of the medical
37 licensing examination;
38 (4) Has entered into an agreement with the sponsoring institution providing that a
39 participating health care facility shall develop, assess and evaluate the
40 internationally trained applicant's familiarity with nonclinical skills and standards
41 appropriate for the practice of medicine in the State, according to assessment and
42 evaluation criteria developed or approved by the board;
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1 (5) Has agreed to enter a full-time employment relationship with the sponsoring
2 institution after the board issues to the internationally trained physician a
3 temporary educational license pursuant to this paragraph; and
4 (6) Has satisfied any other criteria that may be developed by the board that the
5 board considers necessary.
6 C. A temporary educational license to practice medicine granted by the board under
7 paragraph B may be renewed twice, for a total of 6 years.
8 D. An internationally trained physician who provides the board with proof of
9 successful completion of the sponsoring institution's program under paragraph B and a
10 passing score on Step 3 of the medical licensing examination is eligible to apply for a
11 renewable 2-year license to practice medicine only at a participating health care facility
12 in a physician shortage area designated by the board, and that license authorizes the
13 physician to practice medicine independently in a primary care setting or a specialty
14 approved by the board.
15 E. After practicing medicine pursuant to a license issued by the board under paragraph
16 D for a minimum of 6 years, an internationally trained physician may apply for and the
17 board may issue a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in accordance with
18 this subsection.
19 F. Beginning January 1, 2027 and biennially thereafter, the board shall report to the
20 joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over matters related to
21 the licensing of physicians on the status of the International Medical Graduates
22 Sponsorship Program established in Title 20-A, section 12103-B and the alternative
23 license pathway established in this subsection. The board shall report on the number of
24 internationally trained physicians participating in the program and the progress of those
25 physicians toward obtaining full and unrestricted licenses to practice medicine in this
26 State. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over matters
27 related to the licensing of physicians may report out legislation based on the report
28 submitted in accordance with this paragraph to the session of the Legislature in which
29 the report is submitted.
30SUMMARY
31 This bill establishes a sponsorship program within the Finance Authority of Maine to
32 make grants to sponsoring institutions to provide an alternative license pathway for
33 internationally trained physicians in the State and to expand the number of physicians
34 practicing in areas in the State experiencing a shortage of physicians. Under the program,
35 internationally trained physicians are provided a pathway to full and unrestricted licensure
36 as physicians in the State as long as certain requirements are met.
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