Senate Bill 178 (As Introduced)

Contact: Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs

Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Analysis

Topic: Health Professional Licensure
Sponsor: Senator Schuette
Committee: Senate Health Policy
Date Introduced: February 8, 2001
Date of Analysis: March 26, 2001

Position: The Department of Consumer and Industry Services supports the bill with the following amendments: Amend page 2, line 2 after "state" by deleting "THE CANADIAN PROVINCE OF ONTARIO" and inserting "in Canada". Amend page 2, line 3 after "state" by inserting "or in Canada"

Description of the Bill: The bill amends the Public Health Code to allow an individual licensed to practice a health professional in the Canadian province of Ontario to obtain a Michigan license under certain conditions.

• The individual must substantially meet the requirements for licensure under the Public Health Code.
• The individual must be licensed in Ontario and standards for licensure in Ontario must be substantially equivalent to those in Michigan.
• Ontario must grant reciprocal licensure to individuals licensed to practice the health profession in Michigan.

Arguments For: There is a shortage of health professionals in certain areas of Michigan. Public Act 256 of 2000 attempted to deal with the shortage of nurses, but there are shortages in other disciplines as well.

Arguments Against: The bill will make little difference in health professional licensing in Michigan. Thousands of Canadian health professionals are already licensed in Michigan. Public Act 256 of 2000 has generated only 221 temporary licenses, and only 3 or 4 new applications are being received each month.

The economics of health care is different in Canada. The incentives that exist for Canadians to obtain licenses in border states do not typically exist for Michigan health professionals to seek licenses in Canada. Although there is a shortage of health professionals in many areas of Michigan, similar shortages do not generally exist in border areas of Canada.

Fiscal Impact: The bill will have little impact. Arguably, if reciprocal agreements are negotiated, the number of Canadian residents seeking Michigan licenses may increase.

Administrative Rules Impact: Administrative rules may have to be amended if reciprocal agreements are negotiated.