CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5846

Chapter 329, Laws of 2019

66TH LEGISLATURE

2019 REGULAR SESSION

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATE WORK GROUP

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 2019

SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5846

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

BySenate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Saldaña, Hasegawa, Randall, Nguyen, Wilson, C., Keiser, Das, Cleveland, and Dhingra)

AN ACT Relating to the integration of international medical graduates into Washington's health care delivery system; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

(2) The legislature further finds that international medical graduates residing in the state could provide increased access to primary care for state residents, but international medical graduates routinely face barriers to practice.

(3) Therefore, the legislature intends to establish the international medical graduate work group to study barriers to practice and make recommendations on how the state can implement an international medical graduate assistance program by January 1, 2022, to assist international medical graduates in integrating into the Washington health care delivery system.

(a) A representative from the medical quality assurance commission;

(b) A representative from the department of health, health systems quality assurance division;

(c) A representative from the University of Washington school of medicine graduate medical education program;

(d) A representative from the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd college of medicine graduate medical education program;

(e) A representative from the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences college of osteopathic medicine graduate medical education program;

(f) A representative from a statewide association representing physicians;

(g) A representative from the Washington state family medicine residency network;

(h) A representative from a primary care health care employer in a rural or underserved area of Washington;

(i) A representative from a health carrier offering coverage in a rural or underserved area of Washington;

(j) A licensed physician with experience working with international medical graduates;

(k) A representative from an organization specializing in refugee advocacy in Washington;

(l) A representative from an organization serving refugee physicians and international medical graduates;

(m) A representative from an organization offering counseling and educational programs to internationally trained health professionals;

(n) A representative from an organization representing community and migrant health centers; and

(o) At least two international medical graduates.

(2) The work group must:

(a) Develop strategies and recommendations for reducing barriers for international medical graduates obtaining residency positions in Washington, including preresidency training;

(b) Make recommendations for the appropriate number of residency positions to be designated for international medical graduates, and the locations and specialties of those positions; and

(c) Make recommendations on the postresidency service requirements for international medical graduates who graduate from a designated residency position.

(3) Staff support for the work group must be provided by the medical quality assurance commission.

(4) The work group must submit a report to the governor and the legislature with its recommendations by December 1, 2019.

(5) This section expires June 30, 2020.

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