INTERSTATE MED. COMPACT; DELETE SUNSET S.B. 60:
ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
Senate Bill 60 (as passed by the Senate without amendment)
Sponsor: Senator Paul Wojno
Committee: Health Policy
INTERSTATE MED. COMPACT; DELETE SUNSET S.B. 60:
ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
Senate Bill 60 (as passed by the Senate without amendment)
Sponsor: Senator Paul Wojno
Committee: Health Policy
RATIONALE
According to testimony, as one of the 40 states that participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Michigan benefits from an expedited process for medical professionals across the United States to become licensed in Michigan. This enables medical professionals to transfer into Michigan more easily and increases its number of medical professionals. Deleting the Compact's sunset would continue these benefits.
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 161 (General Provisions) of the Public Health Code to eliminate the March 28, 2025, sunset on the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.
Public Act 563 of 2018 enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which allows medical professionals an expedited method to become licensed in another state within the Compact. The Compact’s expressed purpose is to enhance the portability of a medical license and ensure the safety of patients. Public Act 563 took effect on March 28, 2019. It previously had a sunset of March 28, 2022, but Public Act 38 of 2022 extended the sunset until 2025.
PREVIOUS LEGISLATION
(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)
The bill is a reintroduction of House Bill 5964 from the 2023-2024 Legislative Session. House Bill 5964 passed the House and was reported by the Senate Committee of the Whole but received no further action.
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
Participation in the Compact improves access to telemedicine. According to testimony, residents of rural areas in the State use telemedicine to overcome difficulties in accessing healthcare due to the distance of physical offices. Without the Compact, many medical professionals would be unable to practice medicine across state lines, which could reduce the number of physicians available via telehealth. Passing the bill would allow Michigan's rural residents the opportunity to continue seeing their more accessible healthcare providers.
Legislative Analyst: Alex Krabill