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Senate committee approves consolidated Board of Medicine rule chapter and repeals duplicate chapter
Summary
The committee approved a reorganization of Idaho Board of Medicine rules that combines two chapters into one, relocates definitions and practice standards, and updates fee tables and physician-panel language.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved pending rule chapter 24-3301-2401 and repealed chapter 24-3303-2401, consolidating licensure and practice rules for physicians into a single, reorganized chapter.
Nikki Chopsky, bureau chief for health professions at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses and executive officer for the Idaho Board of Medicine, told the committee the board used the ZBR (zero-based regulation) rewrite to combine two chapters, alphabetize definitions, relocate practice standards and fee tables, and add licensure categories required by recent legislation. "In this ZBR process, the board of medicine took the opportunity to combine 2 rule chapters into 1," Chopsky said, describing the reorganization and the board's public notice and stakeholder engagement.
The rewrite moves disciplinary rules into a consolidated "discipline" chapter, created a centralized definitions section and updated fee tables to add provisional and limited licenses for international physicians as required by House Bill 542 (2024 session) and adjustments tied to House Bill 153 (2023 session) related to bridging/visiting physicians. Chopsky asked the committee to approve pending rule chapter 24-3301-2401 as final and repeal the incorporated former chapter.
Senator Shippey questioned language in the licensure section that reads "the board may refuse a licensure or to renew a license," asking why the rule uses "may" rather than "must" and asked what "when the board deems necessary" would mean in practice. Chopsky replied that much of the language was combined from prior sections and that the board relies on objective medical assessments when evaluating a physician's fitness to practice: "The board generally, sends them to another practitioner or provider for evaluation and takes into account the report that comes back from that medical evaluation."
After discussion, Senator Wintrow moved to approve the rewrite and repeal and the committee approved the pending chapter and repeal on a voice vote.
What this means: Idaho will maintain a single reorganized rule chapter for the Board of Medicine that centralizes definitions, practice standards and discipline provisions and incorporates statutory changes about provisional and international licensing. The board said the reorganized chapter is intended to make rules easier to find and to align rule text with statute.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve pending rule chapter 24-3301-2401 and repeal 24-3303-2401: motion by Senator Wintrow; second by Senator Harris; voice vote; outcome: approved.
Key context
- Docket numbers: 24-3301-2401 and 24-3303-2401 (Board of Medicine). - Stakeholder engagement: Chopsky said the division and board held five open meetings, two negotiated-rulemaking hearings and one public hearing; Idaho Medical Association participated. - Areas of change: combined definitions, fee table revisions (removed duplicate/administrative fees), relocation of disciplinary provisions, and added provisional/limited license categories tied to recent statutes.
Sources: Committee hearing transcript; presentation by Nikki Chopsky, Bureau Chief, Health Professions; questions by Senator Shippey.
