Section 102 Special Commission on Foreign-Trained Medical Professional Licensure
(a) There shall be a special commission to study and make recommendations regarding the licensing of foreign-trained medical professionals with the goal of expanding and improving medical services in rural and underserved areas.
(b) The commission shall consist of the following members: the secretary of health and human services or a designee, who shall serve as chair; 1 person to be appointed by the senate president; 1 person to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; the chairs of the joint committee on public health, or their designees; and 15 members to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a member of the governor's advisory council for refugees and immigrants, 1 of whom shall be a member of the board of registration in medicine, 1 of whom shall be a member of the board of registration in dentistry, 1 of whom shall be a member of the board of registration in nursing, 1 of whom shall be a member of the board of registration of physician assistants, 1 of whom shall be a member of the board of allied health professionals, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Medical Society, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of The Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of the University of Massachusetts medical school, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Boston Welcome Back Center at Bunker Hill Community College; and 3 of whom shall be representatives of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Inc., of whom 1 shall be a foreign-trained medical professional and 1 shall be a licensed physician.
(c) The commission shall make recommendations on: (i) the strategies to integrate foreign-trained medical professionals into rural and underserved areas in need of medical services; (ii) state and national licensing regulations that may pose unnecessary barriers to practice for foreign-trained medical professionals; (iii) changes to the commonwealth's licensing requirements; (iv) opportunities to advocate for corresponding changes to national licensing requirements; and (v) any other matters pertaining to licensing foreign-trained medical professionals. The commission may hold hearings and invite testimony from experts and the public to gather information. The commission shall review and identify best practices learned from similar efforts in other states. The report may include guidelines for full licensure and conditional licensing of foreign-trained medical professionals.
(d) The commission shall submit a report containing its recommendations, including drafts of proposed legislation to carry out its recommendations, by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on public health not later than July 1, 2021.