International Medical Graduate Integrate Health-care Workforce

Section 1 of the bill makes legislative declarations and findings regarding the shortage of health-care providers in the state, the presence of qualified, internationally trained medical professionals in the state, the ability of those professionals to assist the state in addressing health-care workforce needs, the barriers to entry into the health-care workforce these professionals face, and the need to reduce those barriers to facilitate the integration of these professionals into the state's health-care workforce. Section 2 establishes the following 2 programs in the department of labor and employment (CDLE) to assist international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking to integrate into the state's health-care workforce:

• The IMG assistance program, the purpose of which is to provide direct services to IMGs, including a review of an IMG's education, training, and experience to recommend appropriate next steps for integrating IMGs into the state's health-care workforce; technical support through the credential evaluation process; and scholarships to assist in defraying the medical licensure process; and
• The clinical readiness program, the purpose of which is to provide curriculum for and assessments of IMGs to help them build the skills necessary to enter a medical residency program.

Section 2 also directs the executive director of CDLE to include in its annual report to the general assembly pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" information about the IMG assistance program, the clinical readiness program, and any progress made in addressing barriers IMGs face in securing positions in medical residency programs. The bill also authorizes the general assembly to appropriate money from the general fund or other sources, and authorizes the CDLE to seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, and donations from private and public sources, to fund the programs and precludes the CDLE from implementing the programs unless sufficient amounts are received to fund the costs of the programs.Section 3 authorizes the executive director of the department of regulatory agencies (DORA), subject to available funding, to award funding to medical residency programs to provide additional residency positions dedicated to qualified IMGs and directs the executive director of DORA to report on any funding awarded for this purpose as part of DORA's annual report to the general assembly pursuant to the "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act".

With regard to requirements for licensure under the "Colorado Medical Practice Act" (act):

• Section 4 Section 3 defines "IMG" for purposes of the act;
• Section 5 Section 4 reduces the length of postgraduate clinical training that an IMG must complete to qualify for a medical license from up to 3 years to one year; and
• Section 6 Section 5 allows an IMG to obtain a reentry license if the IMG has a current or expired international medical license and meets Colorado medical board-specified qualifications and requirements, including an assessment of the IMG's competency to practice.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)