Committee lays over bill to create alternate pathway for internationally trained physicians

House File 19‑13, a bill proposing an alternate licensure pathway for internationally trained physicians, was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill after the House Health Finance and Policy Committee adopted an author’s amendment and heard testimony from immigrant physicians and supporters.

Representative Mahamud, sponsor of the bill, said the measure would make experienced international medical graduates (IMGs) eligible for Minnesota licensure if they meet defined criteria instead of repeating a U.S. residency. Under the amended bill presented to the committee, qualifying physicians would need to have graduated from medical school, passed the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps, practiced medicine for at least five of the prior ten years, completed two years of supervised practice in rural or underserved settings, obtained letters of recommendation and documented competencies comparable to residents. If these criteria are met, the sponsor said, the physician would be eligible for a full Minnesota license.

Supporters — many of whom testified personally — described long delays and financial burdens to obtain U.S. residency training. Several witnesses said they had met U.S. testing and credentialing requirements but faced long waits for residency placements and re‑training opportunities; one witness described a decade‑long path before acceptance into residency. Supporters argued the bill would increase physician supply in rural and underserved areas and help diversify the workforce.

Witnesses included practicing physicians who trained abroad and later completed U.S. credentialing steps; they said supervised practice in Minnesota and regular oversight by the medical board would ensure clinical competency. Representative Mahamud said the proposal would both expand the immediate workforce and preserve residency spots for new U.S. graduates.

The committee adopted the author’s A1 amendment and laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill. Proponents urged the committee to consider the practical benefits of deploying experienced clinicians in shortage areas; supporters also asked that safeguards and supervised practice requirements be implemented to protect patients while enabling qualified IMGs to serve Minnesota communities.

Next steps: House File 19‑13, as amended, was laid over for possible omnibus inclusion. The sponsor requested continued stakeholder engagement to specify supervised practice details and monitoring by the Board of Medical Practice.