Florida Senate - 2017 SB 1718
By Senator Bean
4-01488-17 20171718__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to licensure of a doctor of medical
3 science; creating ss. 458.3471 and 459.0221, F.S.;
4 defining terms; establishing licensure for a doctor of
5 medical science; specifying requirements regarding
6 applications for licensure and for renewals thereof;
7 specifying the scope of practice; specifying
8 applicable law regarding the reactivation of inactive
9 or delinquent licenses; providing penalties;
10 authorizing the Board of Medicine and the Board of
11 Osteopathic Medicine to deny, suspend, or revoke a
12 license under specified circumstances; providing for
13 rulemaking; providing an effective date.
14
15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
16
17 Section 1. Section 458.3471, Florida Statutes, is created
18 to read:
19 458.3471 Doctor of medical science.—
20 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
21 (a) “Boards” means the Board of Medicine and the Board of
22 Osteopathic Medicine.
23 (b) “Continuing medical education” means courses recognized
24 and approved by the boards, the American Academy of Physician
25 Assistants, the American Medical Association, the American
26 Osteopathic Association, or the Accreditation Council on
27 Continuing Medical Education.
28 (c) “Doctor of medical science” means an individual who is
29 a graduate of a doctor of medical science program; meets the
30 requirements of this section; lawfully renders services, whether
31 diagnostic or therapeutic in the practice of primary care; and
32 has been issued a license pursuant to subsection (2).
33 (d) “Doctor of medical science program” means an accredited
34 doctoral medical program, formally approved by the boards, which
35 trains physician assistants in advanced clinical medicine and
36 further prepares the physician assistants for clinical practice
37 equivalent to a physician in the practice discipline of primary
38 care.
39 (e) “Physician assistant” means an individual:
40 1. Licensed under s. 458.347 or s. 459.022; or
41 2. Licensed under the laws of another state as a physician
42 assistant.
43 (f) “Proficiency examination” means an entry-level
44 examination approved by the boards.
45 (2) LICENSURE.—
46 (a) A person desiring to be licensed as a doctor of medical
47 science must apply to the department. The department shall issue
48 a license to any person certified by the boards as having met
49 all of the following requirements:
50 1. Has previously been licensed, and served, in clinical
51 practice for at least 3 years in one or more states as a
52 physician assistant.
53 2. Is a graduate of a minimum 2-year doctor of medical
54 science program accredited by a regional or professional
55 accrediting body recognized and approved by the United States
56 Department of Education.
57 3. Has satisfactorily passed a proficiency examination.
58 4. Provides satisfactory evidence of an affiliation or
59 association with a hospital or group practice or with a list of
60 physicians who have medical expertise outside the expertise of
61 the person seeking licensure as a doctor of medical science.
62 5. Has completed the application form and remitted an
63 application fee not to exceed $500 as set by the boards. An
64 application for licensure of doctor of medical science must
65 include:
66 a. A certificate of completion of a doctor of medical
67 science program.
68 b. A sworn statement of any prior felony conviction.
69 c. A sworn statement of any prior discipline or denial of
70 licensure or certification in any state.
71 (b) The license must be renewed biennially. Each renewal
72 application must include all of the following:
73 1. A renewal fee not to exceed $500 as set by the boards.
74 2. Acknowledgement of no felony convictions in the previous
75 2 years.
76 3. Satisfactory evidence of an affiliation or association
77 with a hospital or group practice or with a list of physicians
78 who have medical expertise outside the expertise of the person
79 seeking licensure renewal as a doctor of medical science.
80 (c) Each doctor of medical science shall biennially
81 complete 100 hours of continuing medical education.
82 (3) SCOPE OF PRACTICE.—Licensure as a doctor of medical
83 science may not be construed to provide the scope of practice
84 that is authorized for a physician licensed under this chapter
85 or chapter 459.
86 (4) INACTIVE AND DELINQUENT STATUS.—A license on inactive
87 or delinquent status may be reactivated only as provided in s.
88 456.036.
89 (5) PENALTY.—A person who falsely holds himself or herself
90 out as a doctor of medical science commits a felony of the third
91 degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
92 775.084.
93 (6) DENIAL, SUSPENSION, OR REVOCATION OF LICENSURE.—The
94 boards may deny, suspend, or revoke a doctor of medical science
95 license if a board determines that a doctor of medical science
96 has violated any provision of this section or chapter or any
97 rule adopted thereto.
98 (7) RULES.—
99 (a) The boards may adopt rules relating to the scope of
100 practice, application process, license renewal, and other areas
101 as the boards deem necessary for licensure of doctors of medical
102 science.
103 (b) The boards may establish a committee on doctors of
104 medical science to advise the boards as to adoption of rules for
105 the licensure of doctors of medical science.
106 Section 2. Section 459.0221, Florida Statutes, is created
107 to read:
108 459.0221 Doctor of medical science.—
109 (1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
110 (a) “Boards” means the Board of Medicine and the Board of
111 Osteopathic Medicine.
112 (b) “Continuing medical education” means courses recognized
113 and approved by the boards, the American Academy of Physician
114 Assistants, the American Medical Association, the American
115 Osteopathic Association, or the Accreditation Council on
116 Continuing Medical Education.
117 (c) “Doctor of medical science” means an individual who is
118 a graduate of a doctor of medical science program; meets the
119 requirements of this section; lawfully renders services, whether
120 diagnostic or therapeutic in the practice of primary care; and
121 has been issued a license pursuant to subsection (2).
122 (d) “Doctor of medical science program” means an accredited
123 doctoral medical program, formally approved by the boards, which
124 trains physician assistants in advanced clinical medicine and
125 further prepares the physician assistants for clinical practice
126 equivalent to a physician in the practice discipline of primary
127 care.
128 (e) “Physician assistant” means an individual:
129 1. Licensed under s. 458.347 or s. 459.022; or
130 2. Licensed under the laws of another state as a physician
131 assistant.
132 (f) “Proficiency examination” means an entry-level
133 examination approved by the boards.
134 (2) LICENSURE.—
135 (a) A person desiring to be licensed as a doctor of medical
136 science must apply to the department. The department shall issue
137 a license to any person certified by the boards as having met
138 all of the following requirements:
139 1. Has previously been licensed, and served, in clinical
140 practice for at least 3 years in one or more states as a
141 physician assistant.
142 2. Is a graduate of a minimum 2-year doctor of medical
143 science program accredited by a regional or professional
144 accrediting body recognized and approved by the United States
145 Department of Education.
146 3. Has satisfactorily passed a proficiency examination.
147 4. Provides satisfactory evidence of an affiliation or
148 association with a hospital or group practice or with a list of
149 physicians who have medical expertise outside the expertise of
150 the person seeking licensure as a doctor of medical science.
151 5. Has completed the application form and remitted an
152 application fee not to exceed $500 as set by the boards. An
153 application for licensure of doctor of medical science must
154 include:
155 a. A certificate of completion of a doctor of medical
156 science program.
157 b. A sworn statement of any prior felony convictions.
158 c. A sworn statement of any prior discipline or denial of
159 licensure or certification in any state.
160 (b) The license must be renewed biennially. Each renewal
161 application must include all of the following:
162 1. A renewal fee not to exceed $500 as set by the boards.
163 2. Acknowledgement of no felony convictions in the previous
164 2 years.
165 3. Satisfactory evidence of an affiliation or association
166 with a hospital or group practice or with a list of physicians
167 who have medical expertise outside the expertise of the person
168 seeking licensure as a doctor of medical science.
169 (c) Each licensed doctor of medical science shall
170 biennially complete 100 hours of continuing medical education.
171 (3) SCOPE OF PRACTICE.—Licensure as a doctor of medical
172 science may not be construed to provide the scope of practice
173 that is authorized for a physician licensed under this chapter
174 or chapter 458.
175 (4) INACTIVE AND DELINQUENT STATUS.—A license on inactive
176 or delinquent status may be reactivated only as provided in s.
177 456.036.
178 (5) PENALTY.—A person who falsely holds himself or herself
179 out as a doctor of medical science commits a felony of the third
180 degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.
181 775.084.
182 (6) DENIAL, SUSPENSION, OR REVOCATION OF LICENSURE.—The
183 boards may deny, suspend, or revoke a doctor of medical science
184 license if a board determines that a doctor of medical science
185 has violated any provision of this section or chapter or any
186 rule adopted thereto.
187 (7) RULES.—
188 (a) The boards may adopt rules relating to the scope of
189 practice, application process, license renewal, and other areas
190 as the boards deem necessary for licensure of doctors of medical
191 science.
192 (b) The boards may establish a committee on doctors of
193 medical science to advise the boards as to adoption of rules for
194 the licensure of doctors of medical science.
195 Section 3. This act shall take effect January 1, 2018.