HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1861

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to administrative requirements for osteopathic medicine and surgery.

Brief Description:  Making changes to the osteopathic medicine and surgery statutes.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Morris, Moyer, Edmondson, Braddock, Sprenkle and Paris).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Health Care, March 4, 1991, DPS;

Passed House, March 18, 1991, 98-0;

Passed Legislature, 98-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HEALTH CARE

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1861 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair; Moyer, Ranking Minority Member; Casada, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Cantwell; Edmondson; Franklin; Morris; Paris; Prentice; and Sprenkle.

Staff:  John Welsh (786-7133).

Background:  The practice of osteopathy or osteopathic medicine is regulated by the state and persons must be licensed as physicians in order to practice osteopathy or osteopathic medicine.  The regulatory program was transferred from the Department of Licensing to the Department of Health in 1989.

The state Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery examines and licenses applicants for practice. A majority of all members constitutes a quorum for taking official action.

The licenses to practice osteopathy or osteopathic medicine, respectively, are deemed synonymous.

Applicants for licensure must submit evidence of good moral character, hold a degree from a legally chartered school and have served as an intern in a training program acceptable to the board.

There is no authority for the secretary to grant inactive licenses for persons desiring to leave active practice.

There are no exemptions from licensure for students enrolled in accredited osteopathic schools; nor for osteopathic physicians in postgraduate training programs; nor for persons in physician assistant training programs.

Applicants must pay an application fee, $15 of which is refundable.

Renewal fees are payable by May 1 annually, and there is no provision for the payment of late renewal fees.

Applicants for licensure must be personally examined by the board, and take a written examination on specified subjects. There is no authority for the secretary to charge an examination fee.

License holders when representing themselves professionally must abide by the canons of ethics of the Washington State Osteopathic Association.

There is no authority for the board to issue a license without examination to osteopathic physicians in post-graduate training programs.

The board is authorized to issue licenses without examination to osteopathic physicians licensed in other states where the standards are equal to those of this state.

Summary of Bill:  The osteopathic medicine practice act is up-dated generally, including references to the transfer of the regulatory program to the Department of Health, correction of internal statutory references, and the elimination of gender-specific terminology.

A quorum of the board must be present at any meeting where action is taken.

The reference to the license to practice osteopathy is repealed.

An applicant need no longer present evidence of good moral character, but must hold a degree from an accredited school approved by the board and have served at least one year in a postgraduate training program approved by the board.

The secretary of the department is authorized to issue an inactive license to applicants desiring to leave active practice.

Exemptions from licensure under specified conditions are provided for students enrolled in accredited schools; for osteopathic physicians in postgraduate programs; and for persons in physician assistant training programs.

Application fees are no longer refundable.

The secretary may establish a late renewal fee, and the board is authorized to determine by rule the parameters for licensure cancellation and re-licensure upon a failure to renew.

Applicants need no longer be personally examined by the board, and are required to pay an examination fee, and take an examination in writing or by practical application on subjects common to the principles and practice of osteopathic medicine, or a board-administered examination on subjects the board deems advisable.

License holders must abide by the canons of ethics approved by the board in representing themselves professionally.

The board is authorized to issue a license without examination to osteopathic physicians in board-approved postgraduate training programs upon the payment of the required fees, and conditioned upon practice solely in connection with the program and under the supervision of a licensed physician.

The authority of the board to grant applicants waivers from examinations in clinical subjects is repealed.

The board is authorized to issue licenses without examination to osteopathic physicians licensed in other states where the standards are substantially equivalent to those of this state.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The practice act for osteopathic physicians needs up-dating generally, including the correction of references to the transfer of the regulatory program to the Department of Health.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Vernon Clausing; Bruce Kuhlmann, Board of Osteopathic Medicine (pro); Joanne Redmond, Department of Health (pro); and Mr. Sandigan (con).