House Bill 0989er

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    1999 Legislature                                        HB 989



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  2         An act relating to physician assistants;

  3         amending s. 458.347, F.S.; authorizing certain

  4         students of the former Florida College of

  5         Physician's Assistants to sit for the

  6         examination for licensure as a physician

  7         assistant; requiring prior completion of

  8         incomplete or additionally required clinical

  9         rotations and providing requirements therefor;

10         authorizing temporary licensure; providing for

11         licensure of successful examinees; providing

12         for fees; providing for future repeal;

13         providing an effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section

18  458.347, Florida Statutes, 1998 Supplement, is amended to

19  read:

20         458.347  Physician assistants.--

21         (7)  PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT LICENSURE.--

22         (b)1.  Notwithstanding subparagraph (a)2. and

23  sub-subparagraph (a)3.a., the department shall examine each

24  applicant who the Board of Medicine certifies:

25         a.  Has completed the application form and remitted a

26  nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $500 and an

27  examination fee not to exceed $300, plus the actual cost to

28  the department to provide the examination. The examination fee

29  is refundable if the applicant is found to be ineligible to

30  take the examination. The department shall not require the

31  applicant to pass a separate practical component of the


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    1999 Legislature                                        HB 989



  1  examination. For examinations given after July 1, 1998,

  2  competencies measured through practical examinations shall be

  3  incorporated into the written examination through a

  4  multiple-choice format. The department shall translate the

  5  examination into the native language of any applicant who

  6  requests and agrees to pay all costs of such translation,

  7  provided that the translation request is filed with the board

  8  office no later than 9 months before the scheduled examination

  9  and the applicant remits translation fees as specified by the

10  department no later than 6 months before the scheduled

11  examination, and provided that the applicant demonstrates to

12  the department the ability to communicate orally in basic

13  English. If the applicant is unable to pay translation costs,

14  the applicant may take the next available examination in

15  English if the applicant submits a request in writing by the

16  application deadline and if the applicant is otherwise

17  eligible under this section. To demonstrate the ability to

18  communicate orally in basic English, a passing score or grade

19  is required, as determined by the department or organization

20  that developed it, on one of the following English

21  examinations:

22         (I)  the test for spoken English (TSE) by the

23  Educational Testing Service (ETS),;

24         (II)  the test of English as a foreign language

25  (TOEFL), by ETS,;

26         (III)  a high school or college level English course,

27  or;

28         (IV)  the English examination for citizenship,

29  Immigration and Naturalization Service. A notarized copy of an

30  Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)

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    1999 Legislature                                        HB 989



  1  certificate may also be used to demonstrate the ability to

  2  communicate in basic English; and.

  3         b.(I)  Is an unlicensed physician who graduated from a

  4  foreign medical school listed with the World Health

  5  Organization who has not previously taken and failed the

  6  examination of the National Commission on Certification of

  7  Physician Assistants and who has been certified by the Board

  8  of Medicine as having met the requirements for licensure as a

  9  medical doctor by examination as set forth in s. 458.311(1),

10  (3), (4), and (5), with the exception that the applicant is

11  not required to have completed an approved residency of at

12  least 1 year and the applicant is not required to have passed

13  the licensing examination specified under s. 458.311 or hold a

14  valid, active certificate issued by the Educational Commission

15  for Foreign Medical Graduates;.

16         c.  was eligible and made initial application for

17  certification as a physician assistant in this state between

18  July 1, 1990, and June 30, 1991; and.

19         d.  was a resident of this state on July 1, 1990, or

20  was licensed or certified in any state in the United States as

21  a physician assistant on July 1, 1990; or.

22         (II)  Completed all coursework requirements of the

23  Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant Program offered

24  through the Florida College of Physician's Assistants prior to

25  its closure in August of 1996. Prior to taking the

26  examination, such applicant must successfully complete any

27  clinical rotations that were not completed under such program

28  prior to its termination and any additional clinical rotations

29  with an appropriate physician assistant preceptor, not to

30  exceed 6 months, that are determined necessary by the council.

31  The boards shall determine, based on recommendations from the


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    1999 Legislature                                        HB 989



  1  council, the facilities under which such incomplete or

  2  additional clinical rotations may be completed and shall also

  3  determine what constitutes successful completion thereof,

  4  provided such requirements are comparable to those established

  5  by accredited physician assistant programs. This

  6  sub-sub-subparagraph is repealed July 1, 2001.

  7         2.  The department may grant temporary licensure to an

  8  applicant who meets the requirements of subparagraph 1.

  9  Between meetings of the council, the department may grant

10  temporary licensure to practice based on the completion of all

11  temporary licensure requirements. All such administratively

12  issued licenses shall be reviewed and acted on at the next

13  regular meeting of the council. A temporary license expires

14  upon receipt and notice of scores to the licenseholder from

15  the first available examination specified in subparagraph 1.

16  following licensure by the department. An applicant who fails

17  the proficiency examination is no longer temporarily licensed,

18  but may apply for a one-time extension of temporary licensure

19  after reapplying for the next available examination. Extended

20  licensure shall expire upon failure of the licenseholder to

21  sit for the next available examination or upon receipt and

22  notice of scores to the licenseholder from such examination.

23         3.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the

24  examination specified pursuant to subparagraph 1. shall be

25  administered by the department only five times. Applicants

26  certified by the board for examination shall receive at least

27  6 months' notice of eligibility prior to the administration of

28  the initial examination. Subsequent examinations shall be

29  administered at 1-year intervals following the reporting of

30  the scores of the first and subsequent examinations. For the

31  purposes of this paragraph, the department may develop,


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    ENROLLED

    1999 Legislature                                        HB 989



  1  contract for the development of, purchase, or approve an

  2  examination, including a practical component, that adequately

  3  measures an applicant's ability to practice with reasonable

  4  skill and safety. The minimum passing score on the examination

  5  shall be established by the department, with the advice of the

  6  board. Those applicants failing to pass that examination or

  7  any subsequent examination shall receive notice of the

  8  administration of the next examination with the notice of

  9  scores following such examination. Any applicant who passes

10  the examination and meets the requirements of this section

11  shall be licensed as a physician assistant with all rights

12  defined thereby.

13         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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