The Florida Senate

458.319  Renewal of license.--

(1)  The department shall renew a license upon receipt of the renewal application, evidence that the applicant has actively practiced medicine or has been on the active teaching faculty of an accredited medical school for at least 2 years of the immediately preceding 4 years, and a fee not to exceed $500; provided, however, that if the licensee is either a resident physician, assistant resident physician, fellow, house physician, or intern in an approved postgraduate training program, as defined by the board by rule, the fee shall not exceed $100 per annum. If the licensee has not actively practiced medicine for at least 2 years of the immediately preceding 4 years, the board shall require that the licensee successfully complete a board-approved clinical competency examination prior to renewal of the license. "Actively practiced medicine" means that practice of medicine by physicians, including those employed by any governmental entity in community or public health, as defined by this chapter, including physicians practicing administrative medicine. An applicant for a renewed license must also submit the information required under s. 456.039 to the department on a form and under procedures specified by the department, along with payment in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the Department of Health for the statewide criminal background check of the applicant. The applicant must submit a set of fingerprints to the Department of Health on a form and under procedures specified by the department, along with payment in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the department for a national criminal background check of the applicant for the initial renewal of his or her license after January 1, 2000. If the applicant fails to submit either the information required under s. 456.039 or a set of fingerprints to the department as required by this section, the department shall issue a notice of noncompliance, and the applicant will be given 30 additional days to comply. If the applicant fails to comply within 30 days after the notice of noncompliance is issued, the department or board, as appropriate, may issue a citation to the applicant and may fine the applicant up to $50 for each day that the applicant is not in compliance with the requirements of s. 456.039 The citation must clearly state that the applicant may choose, in lieu of accepting the citation, to follow the procedure under s. 456.073 If the applicant disputes the matter in the citation, the procedures set forth in s. 456.073 must be followed. However, if the applicant does not dispute the matter in the citation with the department within 30 days after the citation is served, the citation becomes a final order and constitutes discipline. Service of a citation may be made by personal service or certified mail, restricted delivery, to the subject at the applicant's last known address. If an applicant has submitted fingerprints to the department for a national criminal history check upon initial licensure and is renewing his or her license for the first time, then the applicant need only submit the information and fee required for a statewide criminal history check.

(2)  The department shall adopt rules establishing a procedure for the biennial renewal of licenses.

(3)  The licensee must have on file with the department the address of his or her primary place of practice within this state prior to engaging in that practice. Prior to changing the address of the primary place of practice, whether or not within this state, the licensee shall notify the department of the address of the new primary place of practice.

(4)  Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 456.033, a physician may complete continuing education on end-of-life care and palliative care in lieu of continuing education in AIDS/HIV, if that physician has completed the AIDS/HIV continuing education in the immediately preceding biennium.

(5)(a)  Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter or chapter 456, the requirements for the biennial renewal of the license of any licensee who is a member of the Legislature shall stand continued and extended without the requirement of any filing by such a licensee of any notice or application for renewal with the board or the department and such licensee's license shall be an active status license under this chapter, throughout the period that the licensee is a member of the Legislature and for a period of 60 days after the licensee ceases to be a member of the Legislature.

(b)  At any time during the licensee's legislative term of office and during the period of 60 days after the licensee ceases to be a member of the Legislature, the licensee may file a completed renewal application that shall consist solely of:

1.  A license renewal fee of $250 for each year the licensee's license renewal has been continued and extended pursuant to the terms of this subsection since the last otherwise regularly scheduled biennial renewal year and each year during which the renewed license shall be effective until the next regularly scheduled biennial renewal date;

2.  Documentation of the completion by the licensee of 10 hours of continuing medical education credits for each year from the effective date of the last renewed license for the licensee until the year in which the application is filed;

3.  The information from the licensee expressly required in s. 456.039(1)(a)1.-8. and (b), and (4)(a), (b), and (c).

(c)  The department and board may not impose any additional requirements for the renewal of such licenses and, not later than 20 days after receipt of a completed application as specified in paragraph (b), shall renew the active status license of the licensee, effective on and retroactive to the last previous renewal date of the licensee's license. Said license renewal shall be valid until the next regularly scheduled biennial renewal date for said license, and thereafter shall be subject to the biennial requirements for renewal in this chapter and chapter 456.

History.--ss. 1, 8, ch. 79-302; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 6, ch. 84-543; s. 6, ch. 84-553; ss. 13, 25, 26, ch. 86-245; s. 21, ch. 88-1; s. 16, ch. 88-392; s. 1, ch. 90-60; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 163, ch. 94-119; s. 206, ch. 97-103; s. 135, ch. 97-237; s. 21, ch. 97-264; s. 11, ch. 97-273; s. 45, ch. 98-166; s. 10, ch. 99-331; s. 104, ch. 2000-160; s. 1, ch. 2000-356; s. 76, ch. 2001-62; s. 129, ch. 2001-277.