The Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee on Feb. 14 adopted a proposed substitute to Senate Bill 5118 that clarifies the limited clinical-experience license for international medical graduates.

Julie staff briefing: Roan, staff to the committee, told the panel the substitute clarifies that a limited license for an IMG "is for the purpose of gaining clinical experience, clinical experience only," replaces the existing hardship provision with more detailed alternative demonstrations of competence and hardship, and requires a licensee to attest that they have applied to one or more residency programs prior to the third or final renewal of limited licenses. The substitute also clarifies that a licensee’s scope of practice will be defined in a practice agreement with the supervising physician.

Why it matters: The substitute was described as narrowing and clarifying eligibility and oversight for IMGs practicing under limited clinical licenses. The committee moved into executive session for consideration, adopted the substitute, and then moved that the substitute receive a “due pass” recommendation to the Rules Committee.

Committee action: During executive session a committee member moved adoption of the proposed substitute and later moved that the proposed substitute receive a due-pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. Chair Cleveland (presiding) called for the voice vote; committee members voiced “aye” and “nay” and the clerk recorded the bill as passed out of committee "subject signatures." No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

What the substitute requires: As explained by staff, DSHS (or the licensing commission referenced in the current statute) would evaluate limited-license applications on the clarified hardship and alternative-competence criteria, require attestation of residency-program applications before the third/final renewal, and rely on a written practice agreement to set the licensee’s scope of practice.

Next steps: The committee sent the proposed substitute with a due-pass recommendation to the Rules Committee. Additional legislative steps, including floor action and any required signatures, were noted by the chair but no dates or further votes were recorded during the hearing.

Ending: The committee moved from executive session into the public hearing portion of its agenda.