State licensure could remain open to physicians trained overseas

A law enacted last year allowing highly qualified, foreign-trained doctors to get licenses in Minnesota may not expire next year after all.

The House passed HF959, as amended, 130-0 Thursday. Sponsored by Rep. Matt Dean (R-Dellwood), the bill moves to the Senate, where Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) is sponsor.

Rep. Matt Dean

The bill would remove the current law’s sunset date of July 1, 2018.

This applies in “very, very rare circumstances for physicians of extraordinary skill” to work at the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic, Dean said. “We put a sunset in it to make sure it worked well.”  

The House adopted a Dean-sponsored amendment that would appropriate $1,000 in Fiscal Year 2019 from the state’s special revenue fund to the Board of Medical Practice to pay for the licensing activity.

The bill would also change the headnote on the section of statute to “LICENSURE OF EMINENT PHYSICIANS” (replacing the current headnote, “MEDICAL FACULTY LICENSE”).

State licensure of physicians who trained overseas and meet other standards began after enactment of legislation that Dean introduced late in the 2016 regular session. The measure quickly became part of a conference committee report.