Bill > SB5226

This bill establishes a grant program to increase physician residency positions specifically for international medical graduates (IMGs) in Washington state. The program aims to address health care shortages and health equity by creating funding for residency positions in key medical specialties including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery. To receive grants, residency programs must operate under a national residency matching program waiver, maintain accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and ensure physicians can become board certified. The program requires that at least 75% of funded residency positions be filled by IMGs, and an advisory committee will be established to help guide selection criteria and award decisions. The medical commission will be responsible for managing the grants, accepting additional funding sources, and reporting to the legislature biennially about the program's progress, including the number of residency positions, physician demographics, and recommendations for future funding. The bill includes a sunset provision, rendering the act null and void if specific funding is not allocated by June 30, 2027, and the reporting requirements will expire on July 1, 2032.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5226&Year=2025&Initiative=false