HB243 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul W. LeeRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Board of Medical Examiners; to amend Sections 34-24-50.1 and 34-24-70, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide further for qualifications for licensure as a physician; and to add Section 34-24-75.2 to the Code of Alabama 1975, to authorize the board to issue permits for certain medical school graduates to practice medicine in a limited capacity for a limited time as bridge year graduate physicians.

Summary

HB243 would change Alabama's physician licensure rules and create a supervised bridge-year pathway for medical graduates who did not enter residency.

What This Bill Does

It shifts postgraduate training requirements: one year for accredited grads and two years for non-accredited grads. It removes the 10-year exam passing rule and allows alternative licensure paths, including USMLE, COMLEX, and other boards or ECFMG for foreign grads. It creates a Bridge Year Graduate Physician permit allowing grads who did not enter residency to practice under supervision for up to one year (with a possible second year) and to prescribe certain legend drugs within a board-approved formulary and job description. It sets up a standing working group to draft bridge-year rules and oversight, with supervision requirements.

Who It Affects

• Applicants for physician licensure in Alabama (including graduates from accredited and non-accredited medical schools) would face new, potentially easier postgrad and exam requirements, plus background checks and fees.
• Bridge Year Graduate Physicians and their supervising physicians, who would participate in the new permit program allowing limited supervised practice and prescribing, with reporting requirements.

Key Provisions

• Amends 34-24-50.1 and 34-24-70 to adjust licensure qualifications by accreditation status.
• Accredited graduates require one year of postgraduate training; non-accredited graduates require two years.
• Eliminates the 10-year exam passing requirement and allows alternative licensure pathways, including USMLE, COMLEX, and board recertifications, with provisions for foreign medical graduates.
• Adds 34-24-75.2 to authorize a Bridge Year Graduate Physician permit for graduates not accepted into residency to practice for up to one year (renewable once) under supervision; permits may include prescribing legend drugs under board-approved formulary and job description.
• Board will convene a standing working group with specified members to draft bridge-year rules and supervise the program; members include medical associations, medical schools, and residency program directors.
• Bridge-year permits require supervision by a board-approved physician, a defined formulary, and reporting by the supervising physician at year’s end, including residency recommendations.
• Permits do not confer future licensure rights and may be denied, suspended, or revoked for standard grounds like misconduct or rule violations.
• Background checks are required for licensure and bridge-year permits, including fingerprints processed by SBI/FBI; costs are paid by applicants and information is confidential except as needed for denial.
• Effective date is the first day of the third month following passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.