Physicians - Licensing - Internationally Trained Physicians

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0380*

SENATE BILL 380
J2 6lr0947
CF 6lr0946
By: Senator Lewis Young
Introduced and read first time: January 27, 2026
Assigned to: Finance

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Physicians – Licensing – Internationally Trained Physicians 2

FOR the purpose of authorizing the State Board of Physicians to issue a certain license to 3
practice medicine to an internationally trained physician under certain 4
circumstances; and generally relating to the licensure of internationally trained 5
physicians. 6

BY adding to 7
Article – Health Occupations 8
Section 14–321 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Health Occupations 14

14–321. 15

(A) (1) BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2028, THE BOARD MAY ISSUE A LICENSE 16
TO PRACTICE MEDICINE TO A PHYSICIAN LICENSED IN A COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE 17
UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES OR P OSSESSIONS, PUERTO RICO, OR CANADA 18
WHO MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 19

(2) THE TERM OF A LICENSE ISSUED BY THE BOARD UNDER THIS 20
SECTION MAY NOT EXCEED 3 YEARS. 21

(3) A LICENSE ISSUED BY THE BOARD UNDER THIS SECTION MAY NOT 22
BE RENEWED. 23
2 SENATE BILL 380

(B) AN APPLICANT SHALL SUBMIT EVIDENCE ACCEPTABLE TO THE BOARD 1
THAT THE APPLICANT: 2

(1) HAS RECEIVED A DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MEDICIN E OR ITS 3
EQUIVALENT FROM A LE GALLY CHARTERED MEDI CAL SCHOOL OUTSIDE T HE 4
UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES OR POSSESSI ONS, PUERTO RICO, OR CANADA 5
THAT IS RECOGNIZED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION; 6

(2) HAS COMPLETED AT LEAS T 2 YEARS OF POSTGRADUAT E 7
TRAINING IN THE COUN TRY IN WHICH THE APP LICANT IS LICENSED T HAT IS 8
EQUIVALENT TO A POST GRADUATE RESID ENCY PROGRAM ACCREDI TED BY THE 9
ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION; 10

(3) HAS BEEN LICENSED OR OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED TO PRACTICE 11
MEDICINE IN A COUNTR Y OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES OR 12
POSSESSIONS, PUERTO RICO, OR CANADA, AND HAS PRACTICED MEDICINE FOR AT 13
LEAST 5 OF THE 7 YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF APPLICATION; 14

(4) IS IN GOOD STANDING W ITH THE MEDICAL LICE NSING OR 15
REGULATORY AUTHORITY IN THE COUNTRY OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES, ITS 16
TERRITORIES OR POSSE SSIONS, PUERTO RICO, OR CANADA WITH WHICH THE 17
BOARD, THE FEDERATION OF STATE MEDICAL BOARDS, OR ANOTHER NATIONALLY 18
RECOGNIZED MEDICAL S TANDARDS OVERSIGHT E NTITY IS ABLE TO VER IFY THE 19
PHYSICIAN’S DISCIPLINE AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND HISTORY; 20

(5) HAS NO PENDING DI SCIPLINARY MATTERS B EFORE ANY 21
LICENSING OR REGULATORY BODY; 22

(6) HAS A VALID CERTIFICA TE ISSUED BY THE EDUCATIONAL 23
COMMISSION FOR FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES; 24

(7) HAS ACHIEVED A PASSIN G SCORE ON STEP 1, STEP 2 (CLINICAL 25
KNOWLEDGE), AND STEP 3 OF THE UNITED STATES MEDICAL LICENSING 26
EXAMINATION; 27

(8) IS DOMICILED IN THE STATE; 28

(9) DEMONSTRATES ORAL AND WRITTEN COMPETENCY I N THE 29
ENGLISH LANGUAGE; 30

(10) IS OF GOOD MORAL CHARACTER; 31

SENATE BILL 380 3

(11) MEETS THE REQUIREMENT S UNDER §§ 14–309 AND 14–313 OF 1
THIS SUBTITLE; AND 2

(12) HAS SATISFIED ANY OTH ER CRITERIA ESTABLIS HED BY THE 3
BOARD FOR ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE UNDER THIS SECTION. 4

(C) THE BOARD MAY DETERMINE A N APPLICANT INELIGIB LE FOR 5
LICENSURE IF THE APPLICANT HAD: 6

(1) A PREVIOUS DISCIPLINARY ACTION; OR 7

(2) DISCIPLINE OR COMPETE NCY ISSUES DURING TH E APPLICANT’S 8
POSTGRADUATE TRAINING. 9

(D) THE BOARD MAY REVOKE A LICENSE ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION IF: 10

(1) THE LICENSEE HAS PRAC TICED OUTSIDE THE SC OPE OF THE 11
LICENSE; 12

(2) THE LICENSEE’S EMPLOYMENT IS TERMINATED; 13

(3) THE LICENSEE HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF A DIS CIPLINARY 14
ACTION; OR 15

(4) THE LICENSEE IS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR THE LICENSE. 16

(E) THE BOARD SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS: 17

(1) TO ESTABLISH MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND A PPLICATION 18
FEES FOR A LICENSE ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION; 19

(2) TO ESTABLISH CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO A LICENSEE; 20

(3) TO PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO FULL LICENSURE AF TER THE 21
LICENSEE SUCCESSFULLY SATISFIES ANY LICE NSE CONDITIONS ESTAB LISHED BY 22
THE BOARD UNDER ITEM (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION; AND 23

(4) NECESSARY FOR THE IMP LEMENTATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND 24
ENFORCEMENT OF THIS SECTION. 25

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 26
October 1, 2026. 27