1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to employment; establishing a pilot project to encourage the licensure 
1.3 	of foreign-trained physicians in Minnesota; appropriating money for a pilot 
1.4 	program to encourage the licensure of foreign-trained physicians.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. 
1.7 	PILOT PROJECT; LICENSURE OF FOREIGN-TRAINED PHYSICIANS.
1.8 	The commissioner of employment and economic development must conduct a 
1.9 	pilot project to encourage the licensure in Minnesota of foreign-trained physicians.  The 
1.10 	commissioner must award grants to foreign-trained physicians that are sufficient to cover 
1.11 	the actual costs of taking a course intended to prepare physicians for required licensing 
1.12 	examinations and the fee for taking required licensing examinations.  When awarding 
1.13 	grants, the commissioner must consider whether the recipient??a??a??s training involves a medical 
1.14 	specialty that is in demand in one or more Minnesota communities.  The commissioner 
1.15 	also must establish additional criteria for the award of grants.  The program will begin 
1.16 	on July 1, 2006, and end on June 30, 2007.  The commissioner must submit a report 
1.17 	evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program to the legislative committees with 
1.18 	jurisdiction over employment by October 1, 2007. 

1.19 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 1.20 	$....... is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and 
1.21 	economic development for a pilot project to encourage the licensure of foreign-trained 
1.22 	physicians.