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<ns0:Id>20250SB__117999INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-18</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Menjivar</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_OPPOSITE">(Coauthor: Assembly Member Alvarez)</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Menjivar</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
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<ns0:Name>Alvarez</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 2130) to Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>healing arts</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Doctors from El Salvador Program.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, establishes the Medical Board of California to license and regulate the practice of medicine. Existing law establishes within the act the Licensed Physicians from Mexico Program, which authorizes the board to issue a limited number of nonrenewable 3-year physician’s and surgeon’s licenses to physicians from Mexico who are licensed, certified, or recertified and in good standing in their medical specialty in Mexico and who meet specified other requirements.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would establish the Doctors from El Salvador Program for the purpose of permitting licensed physicians from El Salvador to practice medicine in California for up to 3 years. The bill would establish a program administration committee and would designate Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero to serve as the primary administrator and lead representative
of the committee. The bill would require the committee to, among other things, develop an interview examination for each specialty area, develop an orientation program, and recruit and vet candidates for the program. The bill would require the board to issue a nonrenewable 3-year physician and surgeon’s license to a person who is licensed, certified, or recertified, and in good standing in the applicable medical specialty in El Salvador and who meets other requirements of the program. The bill would require a licensee in the program to only practice medicine in California at a federally qualified health center and any corresponding hospital. The bill would require a federally qualified health center employing a licensee in the program to take certain actions, including creating and maintaining medical quality assurance protocols for those licensees. The bill would also require the federally qualified health centers to work with a California medical school or residency program to conduct 10 secondary reviews
of randomly selected patient encounters with each of those licensees every 6 months, as specified. The bill would also require the faculty from the medical school or residency program and federally qualified health center chief medical officers to jointly develop 2 quality assurance seminars to be attended by the licensees.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_33D10FDB-CADF-4D16-BE3D-2135EDFC6D84">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Article 6.5 (commencing with Section 2130) is added to Chapter 5 of Division 2 of the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>6.5.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:LawHeadingText>Doctors from El Salvador Program</ns0:LawHeadingText>
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<ns0:Num>2130.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>For purposes of this article:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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“Committee” means the program administration committee established pursuant to Section 2130.2.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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“Licensee” means a person licensed under the program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
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“Primary administrator” means the Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
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“Program” means the Doctors from El Salvador Program established pursuant to this article.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_8DB33F20-E4FC-418D-8724-657F32BB01C5">
<ns0:Num>2130.1.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Doctors from El Salvador Program is hereby established for the purpose of permitting licensed physicians from El Salvador to practice medicine, including, but not limited to, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychiatry, in California for up to three years.</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_952F55D8-CB1E-4AD9-A48D-07197762E799">
<ns0:Num>2130.2.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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The program administration committee is hereby established.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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The committee shall be composed of the following members:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
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Two individuals designated by the primary administrator.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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Two individuals designated by the Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Two individuals designated by the Universidad de El Salvador.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero shall serve as the primary administrator and lead representative of the
committee.
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<ns0:Num>2130.3.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The committee shall do all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Develop an interview examination for each specialty area.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Develop an orientation program that meets all of the following requirements:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It is modeled after the orientation program developed for the Licensed Physicians and Dentists from Mexico Pilot Program established pursuant to former Section 853.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
It includes all of the following components:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(A)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Medical protocol.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(B)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Community clinic
history and operations.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(C)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Medical administration.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(D)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Hospital operations and protocol.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(E)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Medical ethics.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(F)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The California medical delivery systems.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(G)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Health maintenance organizations and managed care practices.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(H)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Medication documentation and reconciliation.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(I)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The electronic medical records system utilized by federally qualified health centers.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(J)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Standards for medical record documentation to support medical decisionmaking and quality care.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
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It is approved by the board.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Recruit and vet candidates for the program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Act as the point of contact for candidates for the program and assist those candidates with meeting the requirements for the program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Select appropriate federally qualified health centers in California.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Ensure compliance with program provisions.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Develop policy and clinical workshops.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Monitor productivity and increased access to medical care.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Assess the necessity of policy or programmatic
improvements.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_FDDF4623-756D-4550-9DC0-84E860F692ED">
<ns0:Num>2130.4.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The board shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of all applicants for a physician’s and surgeon’s license under the program to determine whether the applicant has a criminal conviction record in this state or in any other jurisdiction, including foreign countries, pursuant to Section 2042. The Department of Justice shall provide a state- and federal-level response in accordance with subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code for the board to determine whether the applicant is subject to denial of licensure under the provisions of Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475) and Section 2221.</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_26EAEDD3-7981-453B-A60B-5035368BA248">
<ns0:Num>2130.5.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>Subject to Section 2130.6, the board shall issue a nonrenewable three-year physician’s and surgeon’s license to a person who meets all of the following requirements:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The person is licensed, certified, or recertified, and in good standing in the applicable medical specialty in El Salvador.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Before leaving El Salvador, the person has completed all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Passed the applicable medical review course with a score equivalent to that required of United States applicants for each of the person’s specialty areas.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Passed the committee’s interview examination
for each of the person’s specialty areas.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Satisfactorily completed the committee’s orientation program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Provided written documentation to the board that they have scored at least 85 percent on the Test of English as a Foreign Language or at least 350 on the Occupational English Test.
</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_AA044074-249D-42E3-A4B4-F8C72C5A1CD4">
<ns0:Num>2130.6.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Subject to subdivision (b), notwithstanding subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, of Section 30, the board shall issue a license to an applicant who meets the requirements of Section 2130.3 even if the applicant has not provided an individual taxpayer identification number or social security number to the board.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A licensee who has not provided an individual taxpayer identification number or social security number to the board shall not engage in the practice of medicine unless all of the following conditions are met:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The licensee sought an appropriate three-year visa and accompanying social security number from the federal government within 14 days of licensure under
the program.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The licensee provided the board their social security number within 10 days of issuance of the number by the federal government.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The board notified the licensee that it has determined that the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) have been met.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The board shall promptly provide the notification described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) to the licensee once the board has made the determination described in that subparagraph.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_87FF4208-2194-49E0-B4BF-0E45E8B36059">
<ns0:Num>2130.7.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>If a licensee is a family practitioner who includes obstetrics and gynecology in their practice, they shall not perform deliveries in California unless they have written documentation from a supervising department chair, hospital administrator, or hospital chief medical officer that they have performed 50 live birth deliveries in accordance with United States standards. Each license who practices as an obstetrician and gynecologist shall be a fellow in good standing of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_490C498E-BDFE-4E03-A613-0422DA4FC109">
<ns0:Num>2130.8.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>A licensee shall complete 25 continuing education units each year. The board may randomly audit a licensee to ensure compliance with this section and may issue a citation and administrative fine against a licensee who fails to comply with this section.</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_E3B6ABA0-154D-4356-9011-25595B21BBD7">
<ns0:Num>2130.9.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A federally qualified health center employing a licensee shall continue the peer review protocols and procedures as required by the federal government.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The federally qualified health centers shall work with a California medical school approved by the board pursuant to Section 2084 or a residency program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to conduct 10 secondary reviews of randomly selected patient encounters with each licensee per six-month period, and the reviews shall be transmitted to the approved medical school or medical institution with an approved residency program in PDF format.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The secondary reviews shall be undertaken every
six months of each year for the three years that the licensee is employed by a federally qualified health center.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The faculty reviewers in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, and obstetrics and gynecology from the California medical school approved by the board pursuant to Section 2084 or the residency program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education shall provide feedback to the federally qualified health centers of the findings of their secondary reviews.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The faculty and federally qualified health center chief medical officers shall jointly develop no less than two quality assurance seminars for all licensees to attend during the six months of secondary reviews conducted. The purpose of the approved medical school or medical institution with an approved residency program secondary peer reviews shall be to provide
feedback on compliance with medical standards, protocols, and procedures required by the federal government and assessed by the monthly or quarterly peer reviews conducted by federally qualified health centers. The associated costs for the secondary reviews and quality assurance seminars shall be the responsibility of the federally qualified health centers on a pro rata basis.
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_24AE6989-F5E6-4ECA-925C-55DF91633738">
<ns0:Num>2130.10.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A licensee shall only practice medicine in California at a federally qualified health center and any corresponding hospital.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A federally qualified health center employing a licensee shall do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Apply peer review protocols and procedures required by federal law to each licensee.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Create and maintain medical quality assurance protocols for licensees.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Obtain and maintain accreditation by the Joint Commission, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, as
applicable.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(4)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Provide all applicable employment benefits, salary, and policies to licensees as are provided to the center’s other employees, including, but not limited to, malpractice insurance coverage.
</html:p>
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_C1BBF913-B360-43C8-83E7-6098B0DF30DA">
<ns0:Num>2130.11.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A license issued pursuant to the program shall be deemed to be a license in good standing pursuant to the provisions of this chapter for the purpose of participation in and reimbursement from all federal, state, and local health programs, including, but not limited to, the Medicare Program, the fee-for-service and managed care delivery systems of the Medi-Cal program, and private insurance.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A licensee shall not be denied credentials by a health plan because the licensee is a participant in the program and did not receive their medical education and training in the United States.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique and immediate need for physicians in California that have the cultural competency, language fluency, and requisite expertise to treat the large Latino patient population.</html:p>
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