Bill: HB 2503, 84(R) - 2015

Committee

House Public Health

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral

Author(s)

John Zerwas

Bill Caption

Relating to examination requirements for certain applicants for a license to practice medicine.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

The bill would amend the Occupations Code to require an applicant for a license to practice medicine in Texas, in addition to passing each part of an examination administered or accepted by the Texas Medical Board within three attempts, to pass all parts of the examination collectively within 12 attempts.

The bill would remove the exemption of an applicant who is licensed and in good standing as a physician in another state and who meets certain other requirements from the three-attempt examination limit; instead the bill would require such an applicant to pass each part of an examination within five attempts if the applicant, in addition to meeting other specified requirements, is specialty board certified by a specialty board that is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties or is approved by the American Osteopathic Association and will practice medicine for at least three years in a practice serving a medically underserved population or in a health professional shortage area.

The bill would authorize the Texas Medical Board (TMB) by rule to establish a process to verify that a person otherwise eligible to pass each part of an examination within five attempts meets that three-year practice requirement. The bill would repeal provisions relating to an exemption from examination attempt limits for an applicant who, on September 1, 2005, held a physician-in-training permit or had an application for that permit pending before TMB. The bill would require the number of attempts taken by a physician to pass each part of the licensing examination to be included in the physician's profile created by TMB.

Vote Recommendation Notes

Increasing the number of times a physician may take a portion of the licensing examination lowers the entry barrier for physicians to practice medicine in Texas. However, removing the aforementioned exemption and requiring certain physicians to take the examination would increase the occupational licensing burden and the entry barrier.

Due to the bill's conflicting limited government and free market provisions, we remain neutral on HB 2503.


Source URL (retrieved on 03/28/2024 01:03 PM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/84r/hb2503?print_view=true