HB 1437 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

Board of Medical Licensure; revise licensure status, definitions, procedure, fines and temporary practice authority.

HB 1437 revises Mississippi's medical licensure laws to clarify procedures for obtaining, renewing, and disciplining medical licenses. It directly affects physicians, nurse anesthetists, and newly created anesthesiologist assistants by establishing their licensure requirements, supervision rules (e.g., assistants must work under an anesthesiologist), and disciplinary processes. Key provisions include creating a new licensure pathway for anesthesiologist assistants, exempting certified nurse anesthetists with 8,000+ clinical hours from needing physician collaboration, and requiring the Board to hold disciplinary hearings within 30 days if a physician's practice poses immediate danger. The bill also removes midwives from this chapter and updates definitions to exclude certain non-medical practices from licensure requirements.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2025 Last action Feb 10, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced → Current version · 10 edits

MAJOR

This bill significantly updates Mississippi's medical practice laws to modernize licensing procedures, strengthen patient safety protections, and expand oversight of impaired physicians. Key changes include new fingerprint-based background checks for all license applicants, electronic renewal notifications, probation and punitive fines as disciplinary options, and a presumption of reinstatement for physicians whose licenses were revoked due to non-medical crimes. The bill also creates new licensure categories for anesthesiologist assistants and special volunteer licenses for retired physicians serving indigent populations.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of regulated professions to include anesthesiologist assistants under the State Board of Medical Licensure, while explicitly excluding midwives from the medical practice chapter. It also clarifies that telemedicine requires licensure unless a doctor-patient relationship already exists.

REQUIREMENT

Added mandatory fingerprint-based criminal history checks for all medical license applicants, with criminal records treated as confidential information.

Changed license renewal deadline from June 30 to May 1, with electronic renewal notifications now sent to physicians.

Added requirement for hearing within 30 days when board determines a physician's continued practice poses immediate danger to public health.

Extended limited institutional licenses for foreign medical graduates from 5 to 8 years.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new disciplinary options including probation and punitive fines up to $25,000 per offense, plus a requirement for a penalty matrix by 2026.

Authorized board to seek injunctive relief and civil penalties of $1,000-$25,000 for unlawful practice of medicine.

ELIGIBILITY

Created presumption of reinstatement for physicians whose licenses were revoked due to non-medical crimes not involving violence, provided they meet specific conditions.

Created special volunteer medical licenses for retired physicians and physician assistants serving indigent populations in underserved areas.

SCOPE

Added new licensure category for anesthesiologist assistants with specific supervision requirements under the State Board of Medical Licensure.

DEFINITION

Clarified that 'practice of medicine' does not include midwifery and updated definitions to reflect modern medical practice standards.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

lower

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Referred To Public Health and Human Services;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors