SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1861
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE,
APRIL 3, 1991
Brief Description: Making changes to the osteopathic medicine and surgery statutes.
SPONSORS:House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Morris, Moyer, Edmondson, Braddock, Sprenkle and Paris).
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG‑TERM CARE
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators West, Chairman; L. Smith, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Johnson, L. Kreidler, Niemi, and Wojahn.
Staff: Scott Plack
Hearing Dates:April 2, 1991; April 3, 1991
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.
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 for not less than one year 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 if the applicant's credentials are insufficient or the examination is not taken.
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 clinical subjects specified in statute. The board may waive the examination requirement if the applicant previously passed an equivalent examination.
License holders when representing themselves professionally must abide by the canons of ethics of the Washington State Osteopathic Association.
There is no statutory 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:
The Osteopathic Medicine Practice Act is updated 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. A quorum is a simple majority of the board.
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. They may be required to take a written or practical examination on subjects common to the principles and practice of osteopathic medicine.
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. The license is conditioned upon the physician practicing 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.
Appropriation: none
Revenue: none
Fiscal Note: available
TESTIMONY FOR:
The bill makes a variety of needed technical and housekeeping changes and is supported by all parties involved.
TESTIMONY AGAINST: None
TESTIFIED: Jeff Larsen, WA Osteopathic Medical Assn. (pro)