CANADIAN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS                                                      S.B. 416 (S-2):

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                     REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 416 (Substitute S-2 as reported)

Sponsor:  Senator Wayne Schmidt

Committee:  Health and Human Services

CONTENT

The bill would amend Article 15 (Occupations) of the Public Health Code to modify reciprocity requirements for a health professional who is licensed in a province in Canada.

Section 16186 of the Code allows certain individuals, including those who are licensed to practice a health profession in a province of Canada, who apply for licensure, registration, specialty certification, or a health profession specialty field license in Michigan to be granted an appropriate license or registration or specialty certification or health profession specialty field license upon satisfying the board or task force to which the applicant applies as to all of the following: 1) the applicant substantially meets the requirements of Article 15 and rules promulgated under Article 15 for licensure, registration, specialty certification, or a health profession specialty field license; 2) the applicant is licensed, registered, specialty certified, or specialty licensed in another state or is licensed in a province in Canada that maintains standards substantially equivalent to those of Michigan; 3) if the applicant is licensed to practice a health profession in a province in Canada, the applicant completed the educational requirements in Canada or in the US for licensure in Canada or the United States; and 4) if the applicant is licensed to practice a health profession in a province in Canada, that the applicant will perform the professional services for which he or she bills in Michigan, and that any resulting request for third-party reimbursement will originate from the applicant's place of employment in this state.

Under Section 16186(3), an applicant who is licensed in a province in Canada, completed the educational requirements in Canada or the US for licensure in either country, and who takes and passes a national examination in the US that is approved by the appropriate Michigan licensing board, or who takes and passes a Canadian national examination approved by the appropriate Michigan licensing board, is considered to have met the equivalent standards requirement described above. The bill would refer to has taken and passed instead of takes and passes.

Additionally, under the bill, until the appropriate licensing board promulgated rules to implement Section 16186, an applicant described under Section 16186(3) who had taken and passed the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination Parts I and II would be considered to have taken and passed a Canadian national examination approved by the appropriate licensing board. 

MCL 333.16186                                                     Legislative Analyst:  Stephen Jackson

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

Date Completed:  6-1-21                                         Fiscal Analyst:  Elizabeth Raczkowski

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.