Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H4/9/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 601
4
5 By: Senator Hester
6 By: Representative L. Johnson
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR A GRADUATE OF A
10 FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BE LICENSED IN THIS STATE
11 IF HE OR SHE IS OFFERED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A
12 PHYSICIAN FROM A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER; AND FOR OTHER
13 PURPOSES.
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15
16 Subtitle
17 TO CREATE A PATHWAY FOR A GRADUATE OF A
18 FOREIGN MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BE LICENSED IN
19 THIS STATE IF HE OR SHE IS OFFERED FULL-
20 TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A PHYSICIAN FROM A
21 HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
22
23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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25 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 17-95-202, concerning the definitions used
26 in the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, � 17-95-201 et seq., � 17-95-301 et
27 seq., and � 17-95-401 et seq., is amended to add additional subdivisions to
28 read as follows:
29 (4) "Healthcare provider" means a healthcare professional,
30 healthcare facility, or entity licensed or certified to provide healthcare
31 services in this state as recognized by the Arkansas State Medical Board; and
32 (5) "Medically underserved population" means the same as defined
33 in 42 U.S.C. � 254b, as existing on January 1, 2025.
34
35 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 17-95-403(b)(3)(A)(iii), concerning the
36 qualifications for a license to practice medicine in this state, is amended
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1 to read as follows:
2 (iii)(a) A foreign medical school whose entrance
3 requirements and course of instruction have been approved by the Arkansas
4 State Medical Board Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
5 (b) He Except as provided in subdivision
6 (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of this section, he or she must shall also have:
7 (1) Served three (3) years as an intern,
8 resident, or fellow, or a combination thereof, in an accredited postgraduate
9 medical education program in the United States;
10 (2) Served three (3) years as an intern
11 or resident in a postgraduate medical education program outside the United
12 States, completed all steps of the United States Medical Licensing
13 Examination, obtained Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
14 certification, and either completed one (1) year or more of fellowship
15 training accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
16 Education in the United States or received American Board of Medical
17 Specialties certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties; or
18 (3) Completed one (1) year as an intern
19 or resident in an accredited postgraduate medical education program in the
20 United States and be currently enrolled in an accredited postgraduate medical
21 program in Arkansas.
22 (c) If he or she has been offered full-time
23 employment as a physician from a healthcare provider that operates in a
24 medically underserved population in this state, he or she shall:
25 (1) Hold an active, unencumbered license
26 to practice medicine in a foreign country;
27 (2) Have actively practiced medicine
28 during the four-year period preceding the date of an application under this
29 section;
30 (3) Have the Educational Commission for
31 Foreign Medical Graduates evaluate his or her medical credentials;
32 (4) Hold an active, valid certificate
33 issued by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates; and
34 (5) Pass the examination used by the
35 Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.
36
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1 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 17-95-403, concerning the qualifications
2 for a license to practice medicine in this state, is amended to add an
3 additional subsection to read as follows:
4 (c)(1) An applicant who is licensed under subdivision
5 (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of this section shall:
6 (A) Maintain his or her employment with the original healthcare
7 provider that operates in this state for at least three (3) consecutive years
8 after licensure;
9 (B) Notify the Arkansas State Medical Board within five (5)
10 business days after any change of employer;
11 (C) Appear personally before the Arkansas State Medical
12 Board together with the sponsoring physician who is licensed by the Arkansas
13 State Medical Board; and
14 (D) Present to the Arkansas State Medical Board
15 information as to what area or department in which he or she will be
16 practicing medicine and who will be his or her sponsoring physician.
17 (2) The license issued under subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of
18 this section shall be a provisional license that authorizes practicing
19 medicine only within the clinical programs approved by the sponsoring
20 physician who is licensed by the Arkansas State Medical Board.
21 (3)(A) The Arkansas State Medical Board shall issue each
22 provisional license under subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of this section for a
23 period of one (1) year.
24 (B) At the end of one (1) year, the provisional license
25 issued under subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of this section shall lapse, and
26 if the physician desires to continue the practice of medicine under the
27 provisional license issued under subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of this
28 section, the physician shall:
29 (i) Submit completed renewal forms to the Arkansas
30 State Medical Board providing information as requested by the Arkansas State
31 Medical Board;
32 (ii) Pay a renewal fee as established by the
33 Arkansas State Medical Board; and
34 (iii) If requested, appear in person before the
35 Arkansas State Medical Board, together with the sponsoring physician.
36 (4) At the end of the second year of practice with a provisional
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1 license under subdivision (b)(3)(A)(iii)(c) of this section, the physician is
2 eligible for an active, unrestricted license to practice medicine in this
3 state after review and approval of the Arkansas State Medical Board.
4 (5) A physician who obtains a license to practice medicine in
5 the State of Arkansas shall comply with the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, �
6 17-95-201 et seq., � 17-95-301 et seq., and � 17-95-401 et seq., and all
7 rules of the Arkansas State Medical Board.
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9 /s/Hester
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4 04-09-2025 11:23:32 JMB508Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.