1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health occupations; removing the number of attempts allowed to pass 
1.3 	the medical licensing examination;amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 
1.4 	147.02, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 147.02, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subdivision 1.United States or Canadian medical school graduates. The board 
1.8 	shall issue a license to practice medicine to a person not currently licensed in another state 
1.9 	or Canada and who meets the requirements in paragraphs (a) to (i).
1.10 	(a) An applicant for a license shall file a written application on forms provided by 
1.11 	the board, showing to the board's satisfaction that the applicant is of good moral character 
1.12 	and satisfies the requirements of this section.
1.13 	(b) The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board of being a graduate 
1.14 	of a medical or osteopathic school located in the United States, its territories or Canada, 
1.15 	and approved by the board based upon its faculty, curriculum, facilities, accreditation by a 
1.16 	recognized national accrediting organization approved by the board, and other relevant 
1.17 	data, or is currently enrolled in the final year of study at the school.
1.18 	(c) The applicant must have passed an examination as described in clause (1) or (2).
1.19 	(1) The applicant must have passed a comprehensive examination for initial licensure 
1.20 	prepared and graded by the National Board of Medical Examiners, the Federation of 
1.21 	State Medical Boards, the Medical Council of Canada, or the appropriate state board that 
1.22 	the board determines acceptable. The board shall by rule determine what constitutes a 
1.23 	passing score in the examination.
2.1 	(2) The applicant taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) 
2.2 	must have passed steps one, two, and three. Step three must be passed within five years of 
2.3 	passing step two, or before the end of residency training. The applicant must pass each of 
2.4 	steps one, two, and three with passing scores as recommended by the USMLE program 
2.5 	within three attempts. The applicant taking combinations of Federation of State Medical 
2.6 	Boards, National Board of Medical Examiners, and USMLE may be accepted only if the 
2.7 	combination is approved by the board as comparable to existing comparable examination 
2.8 	sequences and all examinations are completed prior to the year 2000.
2.9 	(d) The applicant shall present evidence satisfactory to the board of the completion 
2.10 	of one year of graduate, clinical medical training in a program accredited by a national 
2.11 	accrediting organization approved by the board or other graduate training approved 
2.12 	in advance by the board as meeting standards similar to those of a national accrediting 
2.13 	organization.
2.14 	(e) The applicant shall make arrangements with the executive director to appear in 
2.15 	person before the board or its designated representative to show that the applicant satisfies 
2.16 	the requirements of this section. The board may establish as internal operating procedures 
2.17 	the procedures or requirements for the applicant's personal presentation.
2.18 	(f) The applicant shall pay a fee established by the board by rule. The fee may not be 
2.19 	refunded. Upon application or notice of license renewal, the board must provide notice 
2.20 	to the applicant and to the person whose license is scheduled to be issued or renewed of 
2.21 	any additional fees, surcharges, or other costs which the person is obligated to pay as a 
2.22 	condition of licensure. The notice must:
2.23 	(1) state the dollar amount of the additional costs; and
2.24 	(2) clearly identify to the applicant the payment schedule of additional costs.
2.25 	(g) The applicant must not be under license suspension or revocation by the 
2.26 	licensing board of the state or jurisdiction in which the conduct that caused the suspension 
2.27 	or revocation occurred.
2.28 	(h) The applicant must not have engaged in conduct warranting disciplinary action 
2.29 	against a licensee, or have been subject to disciplinary action other than as specified in 
2.30 	paragraph (g). If the applicant does not satisfy the requirements stated in this paragraph, 
2.31 	the board may issue a license only on the applicant's showing that the public will be 
2.32 	protected through issuance of a license with conditions and limitations the board considers 
2.33 	appropriate.
2.34 	(i) If the examination in paragraph (c) was passed more than ten years ago, the 
2.35 	applicant must either:
3.1 	(1) pass the special purpose examination of the Federation of State Medical Boards 
3.2 	with a score of 75 or better within three attempts; or
3.3 	(2) have a current certification by a specialty board of the American Board of 
3.4 	Medical Specialties, of the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Professional 
3.5 	Education, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or of the College 
3.6 	of Family Physicians of Canada.