This bill ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Interstate Medical Licensure
Compact (compact), which provides for, as stated in the compact, "a streamlined
process that allows physicians to become licensed in multiple states." Provisions in
the compact are to be administered by boards that regulate physicians in the states
that are parties to the compact (member boards). Significant provisions of the
compact include:
1. The creation of an Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission
(commission), which includes two representatives of each member board. The
commission has various powers and duties granted in the compact, including
overseeing the administration of the compact, enforcing the compact, adopting
bylaws, promulgating binding rules for the compact, employing an executive director
and employees, and maintaining records.

2. A process whereby a physician who possesses a license to engage in the
practice of medicine issued by a member board and who satisfies other criteria
designates a state where the physician is already licensed as his or her state of
principal license and applies to the member board in that state for licensure through
the compact. After a verification and registration process that includes a background
check, the physician may receive an "expedited license" in other states that are
parties to the compact. If a physician's license in his or her state of principal license
is revoked or suspended, then all expedited licenses issued by other states are
revoked or suspended as well until each is reinstated.
3. The ability for member boards to conduct joint investigations of physicians
and the ability of member states to issue subpoenas that are enforceable in other
states.
4. The creation of a coordinated information system including a database of all
physicians who have applied for or received an expedited license. The compact
requires, or in other cases allows, for member boards to submit public actions,
complaints, or disciplinary information to the commission.
The compact provides that it becomes effective upon being enacted into law by
seven states and that it may be amended upon enactment of an amendment by all
member states. A state may withdraw from the compact by repealing the statute
authorizing the compact, but the compact provides that a withdrawal does not take
effect until one year after the effective date of that repeal.
The compact provides that laws of a member state that are not inconsistent
with the compact may be enforced, but that all laws of a member state in conflict with
the compact are superseded to the extent of the conflict.
In addition to enacting the compact, the bill provides all of the following:
1. Numerous limitations on the sharing of information under the compact
about physicians, including limiting disclosures to physicians who have designated
or applied to designate this state as their state of principal license or who hold or are
applying to hold expedited licenses granted by the Wisconsin Medical Examining
Board (MEB). The bill also includes limitations with respect to the enforceability of
subpoenas under the compact and investigations of other states' medical practice
laws.
2. A requirement that the Wisconsin MEB report annually to the Joint
Committee on Finance about investigations of physicians under the compact.
3. That payment of this state's assessments under the commission is from
licensure fees paid by physicians who have applied for licensure through the
compact.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB253,1 1Section 1. 14.83 of the statutes is created to read:
AB253,3,6
114.83 Interstate medical licensure compact. There is created an
2interstate medical licensure compact commission as specified in s. 448.980. The
3members of the commission representing this state under s. 448.980 (11) (d) shall be
4members of the medical examining board and shall be appointed by the chairperson
5of the medical examining board. The commission has the powers and duties granted
6and imposed under s. 448.980.
AB253,2 7Section 2. 20.165 (1) (hg) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,3,208 20.165 (1) (hg) General program operations; medical examining board;
9interstate medical licensure compact; prescription drug monitoring program.
10Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for the licensing, rule-making, and
11regulatory functions of the medical examining board and the affiliated credentialing
12boards attached to the medical examining board, except for preparing,
13administering, and grading examinations; for any costs associated with the
14interstate medical licensure compact under s. 448.980, including payment of
15assessments under s. 448.980 (13) (a);
and for the pharmacy examining board's
16operation of the prescription drug monitoring program under s. 450.19. Ninety
17percent of all moneys received for issuing and renewing credentials under ch. 448
18shall be credited to this appropriation. All moneys received from the interstate
19medical licensure compact commission under s. 448.980 shall be credited to this
20appropriation.
AB253,3 21Section 3. 440.03 (11m) (c) of the statutes is renumbered 440.03 (11m) (c)
22(intro.) and amended to read:
AB253,3,2523 440.03 (11m) (c) (intro.) The department of safety and professional services
24may not disclose a social security number obtained under par. (a) to any person
25except for the following:
AB253,4,1
11. The coordinated licensure information system under s. 441.50 (7); the.
AB253,4,3 23. The department of children and families for purposes of administering s.
349.22; and, for.
AB253,4,7 44. For a social security number obtained under par. (a) 1., the department of
5revenue for the purpose of requesting certifications under s. 73.0301 and
6administering state taxes and the department of workforce development for the
7purpose of requesting certifications under s. 108.227.
AB253,4 8Section 4. 440.03 (11m) (c) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
AB253,4,119 440.03 (11m) (c) 2. The coordinated licensure information system under s.
10448.980 (8), if such disclosure is required under the interstate medical licensure
11compact under s. 448.980.
AB253,5 12Section 5. 440.03 (13) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,4,1813 440.03 (13) (b) (intro.) The department may investigate whether an applicant
14for or holder of any of the following credentials has been charged with or convicted
15of a crime only pursuant to rules promulgated by the department under this
16paragraph, including rules that establish the criteria that the department will use
17to determine whether an investigation under this paragraph is necessary, except as
18provided in par. (c) and s. 448.980 (5) (b) 3.:
AB253,6 19Section 6. 440.03 (13) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,4,2420 440.03 (13) (d) The department shall charge an applicant any fees, costs, or
21other expenses incurred in conducting any investigation under this subsection or s.
22440.26. The department shall charge an applicant seeking licensure through the
23interstate medical licensure compact under s. 448.980, directly or indirectly, for any
24expenses incurred in conducting any investigation under s. 448.980 (5) (b) 3.
AB253,7 25Section 7. 440.05 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,5,3
1440.05 Standard fees. (intro.) The following standard fees apply to all initial
2credentials, except as provided in ss. 440.51, 444.03, 444.11, 446.02 (2) (c), 447.04 (2)
3(c) 2., 448.07 (2), 449.17 (1m) (d), and 449.18 (2) (d):
AB253,8 4Section 8. 440.08 (2) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,5,75 440.08 (2) (c) Except as provided in par. (e) and sub. (3), renewal applications
6shall include the applicable renewal fee as determined by the department under s.
7440.03 (9) (a) or as specified in par. (b).
AB253,9 8Section 9. 440.08 (2) (e) of the statutes is created to read:
AB253,5,109 440.08 (2) (e) A renewal of a compact license, as defined in s. 448.015 (1dm),
10shall be governed by s. 448.980 (7) and is subject to s. 448.07 (2).
AB253,10 11Section 10. 440.14 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,5,2112 440.14 (2) If a form that the department or a credentialing board requires an
13individual to complete in order to apply for a credential or credential renewal or to
14obtain a product or service from the department or the credentialing board requires
15the individual to provide any of the individual's personal identifiers, the form shall
16include a place for the individual to declare that the individual's personal identifiers
17obtained by the department or the credentialing board from the information on the
18form may not be disclosed on any list that the department or the credentialing board
19furnishes to another person. This subsection does not apply with respect to an
20application filed with the medical examining board pursuant to the interstate
21medical licensure compact under s. 448.980 (5).
AB253,11 22Section 11. 440.14 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,6,823 440.14 (3) If the department or a credentialing board requires an individual
24to provide, by telephone or other electronic means, any of the individual's personal
25identifiers in order to apply for a credential or credential renewal or to obtain a

1product or service from the department or a credentialing board, the department or
2the credentialing board shall ask the individual at the time that the individual
3provides the information if the individual wants to declare that the individual's
4personal identifiers obtained by telephone or other electronic means may not be
5disclosed on any list that the department or the credentialing board furnishes to
6another person. This subsection does not apply with respect to an application filed
7with the medical examining board pursuant to the interstate medical licensure
8compact under s. 448.980 (5).
AB253,12 9Section 12. 440.15 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,6,14 10440.15 No fingerprinting. Except as provided under s. ss. 440.03 (13) (c) and
11448.980 (5) (b) 3.
, the department or a credentialing board may not require that an
12applicant for a credential or a credential holder be fingerprinted or submit
13fingerprints in connection with the department's or the credentialing board's
14credentialing.
AB253,13 15Section 13. 448.01 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,6,1916 448.01 (5) "Physician" means an individual possessing the degree of doctor of
17medicine or doctor of osteopathy or an equivalent degree as determined by the
18medical examining board, and holding a license granted by the medical examining
19board. This subsection does not apply in s. 448.980.
AB253,14 20Section 14. 448.015 (1dm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB253,6,2221 448.015 (1dm) "Compact license" means an expedited license granted by the
22board pursuant to the interstate medical licensure compact under s. 448.980.
AB253,15 23Section 15. 448.04 (1) (ab) of the statutes is created to read:
AB253,6,2524 448.04 (1) (ab) Compact license. The board may grant a compact license
25pursuant to the interstate medical licensure compact under s. 448.980.
AB253,16
1Section 16. 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin
2Act 240
, is amended to read:
AB253,7,53 448.05 (2) (a) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (e) (f), an applicant for
4any class of license to practice medicine and surgery must supply evidence
5satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
AB253,17 6Section 17. 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2013 Wisconsin
7Act 240
, is amended to read:
AB253,7,108 448.05 (2) (b) (intro.) Except as provided in pars. (c) to (e) (f), an applicant for
9a license to practice medicine and surgery who is a graduate of a foreign medical
10college must supply evidence satisfactory to the board of all of the following:
AB253,18 11Section 18. 448.05 (2) (f) of the statutes is created to read:
AB253,7,1312 448.05 (2) (f) The board shall grant a compact license as provided under s.
13448.980.
AB253,19 14Section 19. 448.07 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,8,215 448.07 (1) (a) Every person licensed or certified under this subchapter shall
16register on or before November 1 of each odd-numbered year following issuance of
17the license or certificate with the board. Registration shall be completed in such
18manner as the board shall designate and upon forms the board shall provide, except
19that registration with respect to a compact license shall be governed by the renewal
20provisions in s. 448.980 (7)
. The secretary of the board, on or before October 1 of each
21odd-numbered year, shall mail or cause to be mailed to every person required to
22register a registration form. The board shall furnish to each person registered under
23this section a certificate of registration, and the person shall display the registration
24certificate conspicuously in the office at all times. No person may exercise the rights

1or privileges conferred by any license or certificate granted by the board unless
2currently registered as required under this subsection.
AB253,20 3Section 20. 448.07 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB253,8,134 448.07 (2) Fees. The Except as otherwise provided in s. 448.980, the fees for
5examination and licenses granted under this subchapter are specified in s. 440.05,
6and the renewal fee for such licenses is determined by the department under s.
7440.03 (9) (a). Compact licenses shall be subject to additional fees and assessments,
8as established by the department, the board, or the interstate medical licensure
9compact commission, to cover any costs incurred by the department or the board for
10this state's participation in the interstate medical licensure compact under s.
11448.980 and costs incurred by the interstate medical licensure compact commission
12for its administration of the renewal process for the interstate medical licensure
13compact under s. 448.980.
AB253,21 14Section 21. Subchapter VIII of chapter 448 [precedes 448.980] of the statutes
15is created to read:
AB253,8,1616 Chapter 448
AB253,8,1717 Subchapter VIII
AB253,8,1818 interstate medical licensure
AB253,8,1919 compact
AB253,8,21 20448.980 Interstate medical licensure compact. The following compact is
21hereby ratified and entered into:
AB253,9,11 22(1) Section 1 — Purpose. In order to strengthen access to health care, and in
23recognition of the advances in the delivery of health care, the member states of the
24interstate medical licensure compact have allied in common purpose to develop a
25comprehensive process that complements the existing licensing and regulatory

1authority of state medical boards, provides a streamlined process that allows
2physicians to become licensed in multiple states, thereby enhancing the portability
3of a medical license and ensuring the safety of patients. The compact creates another
4pathway for licensure and does not otherwise change a state's existing medical
5practice act. The compact also adopts the prevailing standard for licensure and
6affirms that the practice of medicine occurs where the patient is located at the time
7of the physician-patient encounter, and therefore, requires the physician to be under
8the jurisdiction of the state medical board where the patient is located. State medical
9boards that participate in the compact retain the jurisdiction to impose an adverse
10action against a license to practice medicine in that state issued to a physician
11through the procedures in the compact.
AB253,9,12 12(2) Section 2 — Definitions. In this compact:
AB253,9,1513 (a) "Bylaws" means those bylaws established by the interstate commission
14pursuant to sub. (11) for its governance, or for directing and controlling its actions
15and conduct.
AB253,9,1716 (b) "Commissioner" means the voting representative appointed by each
17member board pursuant to sub. (11).
AB253,9,2218 (c) "Conviction" means a finding by a court that an individual is guilty of a
19criminal offense through adjudication, or entry of a plea of guilt or no contest to the
20charge by the offender. Evidence of an entry of a conviction of a criminal offense by
21the court shall be considered final for purposes of disciplinary action by a member
22board.
AB253,9,2523 (d) "Expedited license" means a full and unrestricted medical license granted
24by a member state to an eligible physician through the process set forth in the
25compact.
AB253,10,2
1(e) "Interstate commission" means the interstate commission created pursuant
2to sub. (11).
AB253,10,43 (f) "License" means authorization by a state for a physician to engage in the
4practice of medicine, which would be unlawful without the authorization.
AB253,10,65 (g) "Medical practice act" means laws and regulations governing the practice
6of allopathic and osteopathic medicine within a member state.
AB253,10,97 (h) "Member board" means a state agency in a member state that acts in the
8sovereign interests of the state by protecting the public through licensure,
9regulation, and education of physicians as directed by the state government.
AB253,10,1010 (i) "Member state" means a state that has enacted the compact.
AB253,10,1311 (j) "Practice of medicine" means the clinical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment
12of human disease, injury, or condition requiring a physician to obtain and maintain
13a license in compliance with the medical practice act of a member state.
AB253,10,1414 (k) "Physician" means any person who:
AB253,10,1815 1. Is a graduate of a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on
16Medical Education, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, or a
17medical school listed in the International Medical Education Directory or its
18equivalent;
AB253,10,2219 2. Passed each component of the United States Medical Licensing Examination
20(USMLE) or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination
21(COMLEX-USA) within 3 attempts, or any of its predecessor examinations accepted
22by a state medical board as an equivalent examination for licensure purposes;
AB253,10,2523 3. Successfully completed graduate medical education approved by the
24Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic
25Association;
AB253,11,3
14. Holds specialty certification or a time-unlimited specialty certificate
2recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American
3Osteopathic Association's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists;
AB253,11,54 5. Possesses a full and unrestricted license to engage in the practice of medicine
5issued by a member board;
AB253,11,86 6. Has never been convicted, received adjudication, deferred adjudication,
7community supervision, or deferred disposition for any offense by a court of
8appropriate jurisdiction;
AB253,11,119 7. Has never held a license authorizing the practice of medicine subjected to
10discipline by a licensing agency in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction,
11excluding any action related to non-payment of fees related to a license;
AB253,11,1312 8. Has never had a controlled substance license or permit suspended or revoked
13by a state or the united states drug enforcement administration; and
AB253,11,1514 9. Is not under active investigation by a licensing agency or law enforcement
15authority in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction.
AB253,11,1616 (L) "Offense" means a felony, gross misdemeanor, or crime of moral turpitude.
AB253,11,2217 (m) "Rule" means a written statement by the interstate commission
18promulgated pursuant to sub. (12) that is of general applicability, implements,
19interprets, or prescribes a policy or provision of the compact, or an organizational,
20procedural, or practice requirement of the interstate commission, and has the force
21and effect of statutory law in a member state, and includes the amendment, repeal,
22or suspension of an existing rule.
AB253,11,2423 (n) "State" means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United
24States.
AB253,12,3
1(o) "State of principal license" means a member state where a physician holds
2a license to practice medicine and which has been designated as such by the
3physician for purposes of registration and participation in the compact.
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