Interstate Compact Passed for Medicine: “Interstate Medical Licensure Compact”

Several bills passed the recent legislative session supporting interstate compacts, agreements for her regulating between states. Two such bills were put forth by
Senator Peacock.

SB 27 builds on present law which states that a person who wishes to practice medicine in Louisiana must meet certain minimum qualifications, including being a citizen of the United States. The law retains present law and increases the eligibility to also include any person who possesses valid and current legal authority to reside and work in the United States.

SB 27 enacts the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. The law and allows Louisiana to join a multi-state compact for physicians to obtain multi-state license privileges to practice in participating compact states to enhance the portability of a medical license and ensure the safety of patients.

The new law provides that each participating state in the compact adopt similar requirements for expedited licensure including satisfaction of criminal background checks, licensure, and education. It requires verification of licensure information through the coordinated information system and exchange of information regarding
discipline and adverse actions by all participating states. The new law provides that the medical board in the state where the patient is located shall regulate the physician in that state.

The new law requires a physician to select a State of Principal License (SPL) within the compact where the physician already has a license. It provides that the SPL is responsible for conducting the primary source verification of the applying physician’s qualifications to participate in the compact.

The new law establishes the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (commission) and grants each participating state two voting representatives on the commission. It law provides for the powers, duties, financial authority, organization, and rulemaking functions of the commission. The new law law authorizes the commission to levy and collect an annual assessment from each member state, and authorizes the commission to initiate legal action in federal court in the District of Columbia or where the commission has its principal offices to enforce the compact’s
provisions. The new law provides for oversight, enforcement, dispute resolution, withdrawal, and dissolution of the compact. The law provides for severability.

SB 34, also by Sen. Peacock, enacts the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, to take effect once adopted in 10 member states. The new law allows Louisiana to join a multistate compact which allows audiologists and speech-language pathologists to obtain multistate license privileges to practice in participating compact states, to decrease redundancies in the consideration and issuance of
audiologist and speech-language pathologist licensure, and to provide opportunity for interstate practice by audiologists and speech-language pathologists who meet the uniform licensure requirements.

The new law provides that the compact facilitates the interstate practice of audiology and speech-language pathology to assist in improving public access to audiology and speech-language pathology services.

SB 13 enacts the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA). The new law allows Louisiana to join a multistate
compact for EMS personnel to obtain multistate license privileges to practice in participating compact states, to decrease redundancies in the consideration and issuance of EMS licenses, and provide opportunity for interstate practice by EMS personnel who meet the uniform licensure requirements.

The law provides that each participating state in the compact adopt similar requirements for criminal background checks, licensure, and education. The law requires exchange of information regarding discipline and adverse actions by all participating states.

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