HB 2051: Practice of medicine; creating the Supervised Physicians Act; limiting scope of supervised practice; directing specified Boards to promulgate certain rules; requiring collaborative practice arrangements; creating certain exemptions; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to transition from a House version to a Senate floor version, which includes significant substantive changes to the definitions of eligible physicians and the rules governing their supervision. The Senate version broadens eligibility by allowing graduates from any recognized medical school (not just Oklahoma schools) and clarifies that physical presence is not required for supervision as long as telecommunication contact is maintained. It also mandates that state medical boards create specific rules for temporary licensure and fees.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include medical school graduates from out-of-state institutions, whereas the House version was more restrictive regarding the location of the medical school.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'medical school graduate' was updated to include graduates from any legally chartered medical school recognized by state regents or osteopathic boards, removing the previous restriction to Oklahoma schools.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for physical presence by the supervising physician was removed; supervision now only requires that the parties be easily contactable via telecommunication.

New provisions require the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision and the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners to independently promulgate rules for temporary licensure, supervision standards, and fees.

TIMELINE

Temporary licenses issued under the act are now explicitly limited to a maximum of two years from the date of graduation and cannot be renewed.

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was updated from a committee draft to the House floor version, primarily changing the header to reflect its current status and simplifying the list of sponsors. The core legal text regarding the Supervised Physicians Act remains largely intact, though minor wording adjustments were made to definitions and requirements.

Scope change

The scope of the bill itself has not changed; it still establishes a framework for supervised physician practice in Oklahoma. The changes are administrative, reflecting the bill's progression through the legislative process.

TECHNICAL

The document title was updated from 'Senate Committee Substitute' to 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' to indicate the bill has moved to the House floor for final consideration.

The list of bill sponsors was simplified, removing the 'and' separators and consolidating the names of the House and Senate sponsors.

Minor wording adjustments were made to the act's summary description and specific definitions (e.g., changing 'Supervised Physicians Act' to 'this act' in certain contexts) to improve clarity and consistency.

House Committee Substitute → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to transition from a 'Committee Substitute' to an 'Engrossed' version, indicating it has passed the House and is ready for the Senate. The substantive policy content remains largely the same, though the text was reorganized and some definitions were slightly refined for clarity. The primary change is the procedural status of the bill, moving it closer to final enactment.

Scope change

The scope of the bill (creating the Supervised Physicians Act) remains unchanged; the amendment reflects procedural progress rather than a shift in policy scope.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect that the bill is now an 'Engrossed House Bill' rather than a 'Committee Substitute,' signifying it has been approved by the House Committee and is being sent to the Senate.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Supervised physician' was slightly tightened to specify that the medical school must be 'legally chartered' and 'recognized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,' adding a layer of verification to eligibility.

The definition of 'Supervising physician' was updated to require specific permits from the 'United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)' and the 'Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD),' clarifying the exact regulatory permissions needed.

REQUIREMENT

The requirements for the State Board to promulgate rules were slightly rephrased to include input from 'designated institutional officers and graduate medical education departments,' ensuring academic stakeholders are involved in rule-making.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The House Committee Substitute replaced the entire text of the bill with a new version that significantly expands the regulatory framework. The primary change is the shift from a single board managing rules to requiring the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision and the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners to independently promulgate their own rules. Additionally, the definition of a 'supervised physician' was updated to require successful completion of Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE or equivalent exams within the same calendar year as graduation.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include both allopathic and osteopathic medical boards as independent rule-making entities, whereas the original text implied a single supervisory body.

REQUIREMENT

Rule-making authority was split; the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision and the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners must now independently create rules rather than consulting together.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility criteria for supervised physicians were updated to mandate the completion of Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE (or equivalent) within the same calendar year as graduation.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was updated from 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' to reflect the procedural stage of the legislation.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renamed from a 'Proposed Oversight' substitute to a 'Proposed Policy' substitute, indicating a shift in the committee's approach from monitoring to setting rules. The primary substantive change is the reorganization of the bill's structure, which now explicitly directs the State Board of Medical Licensure to create specific rules for temporary licenses, supervision requirements, and fees for supervised physicians. Additionally, the bill number reference was updated from 12946 to 12315.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on creating a framework for supervised physicians, but the mechanism for implementation has shifted from general oversight to specific rule-making by the State Board.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Supervised physician collaborative practice arrangement' was expanded to explicitly include the requirement that the agreement must meet the act's requirements.

REQUIREMENT

New language was added mandating that the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, in consultation with osteopathic examiners, must promulgate specific rules regarding temporary licensure, supervision standards, and associated fees.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect the new 'Proposed Policy' status and the bill number reference was changed from 12946 to 12315.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was completely rewritten from scratch by the committee, replacing the original text with a new version that retains the core purpose of creating a 'Supervised Physicians Act' but likely includes updated legal language, formatting, and potentially refined definitions or requirements based on the committee's review. This is a standard legislative process where the full committee rewrites a bill to ensure clarity and consistency before it moves to the next stage.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's subject matter (creating a supervised physician program) remains unchanged, but the specific legal text defining the program has been replaced.

TECHNICAL

The entire text of the bill was deleted and replaced with a new version, indicating a complete rewrite by the committee rather than incremental edits.

New header information including the committee name, date (2/28/2025), and amendment details were added to the top of the document.

DEFINITION

All statutory definitions and section numbers were updated in the new text, though the substantive content regarding the supervised physician program appears to remain consistent with the original intent.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 11, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was renamed from the 'Graduate Physicians Act' to the 'Supervised Physicians Act' to reflect a shift in terminology from 'graduate' to 'supervised' physicians. The definitions for eligible practitioners were updated to require graduation from an Oklahoma medical or osteopathic school and to remove the specific three-year post-graduation window, instead requiring the licensing exam to be taken within the same calendar year as graduation. The act now explicitly defines the relationship as one of agency, where the supervised physician acts as an agent of the supervising physician.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was narrowed regarding eligibility by restricting the location of the medical school to Oklahoma and removing the three-year grace period for taking licensing exams after graduation.

DEFINITION

The act's title and all references to 'Graduate Physicians' were changed to 'Supervised Physicians' to align the language with the new supervisory framework.

Definitions for 'Graduate physician' and 'Graduate physician collaborative practice arrangement' were replaced with new definitions for 'Medical school graduate', 'Supervised physician', and 'Supervised physician collaborative practice arrangement'.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility criteria were tightened to require that the medical school be located in Oklahoma, removing the option for out-of-state schools.

The requirement to take licensing exams within three years of graduation was removed; instead, the exam must be taken in the same calendar year as graduation.

REQUIREMENT

A new provision clarifies that a supervised physician is legally considered an 'agent' of the supervising physician at all times.

Practice of medicine; creating the Supervised Physicians Act; limiting scope of supervised practice; directing specified Boards to promulgate certain rules; requiring collaborative practice arrangements; creating certain exemptions; effective date.

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