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HB 1220

BOARDS/COMMISSIONS: Provides relative to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jeremy LaCombe

HB 1220 restructures the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to be physician-dominated with a single voting consumer member, boosting governance, diversity, and investigativ

House conferees appointed: LaCombe, Miller, and Riser.
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Bill Summary · HB 1220

HB 1220 (2026 Reg. Session) — Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

Purpose and Intent

  • Reform and modernize the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME).
  • Rework board composition, appointment processes, meeting requirements, leadership selection, and executive staff roles.
  • Enhance governance, diversity, oversight, and accountability within the board.

Key Provisions and Changes

Board Membership

  • The board remains composed of 10 voting members, all appointed by the Governor and subject to Senate confirmation.
  • New structure (B): All members, with the exception of the consumer member, must be physicians.
    • Two physician members appointed from lists provided by Xavier Ochsner College (moving away from the prior nomination source).
    • Two physician members appointed from lists provided by LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans; at least every other member from this list must be a minority appointee (continuing minority representation).
    • One physician member from a list submitted by Tulane Medical School.
    • Two physicians from a list submitted by the Louisiana Medical Association Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (note: this section overlaps with the Xavier Ochsner College appointments; the bill specifies two physicians from this list in addition to other lists).
    • One physician member from a list submitted by the Louisiana Academy of Family Practice Physicians.
    • One physician member from a list submitted by the Louisiana Hospital Association; at least every other member from this list shall be a minority appointee.

Qualifications of Physician Members

  • Upon appointment, physician members must have:
    • Been a resident of Louisiana for five years (changed from six months in current law).
    • Other qualifications consistent with existing statute (not fully enumerated in the excerpt, but the bill preserves the existing framework besides the residency change).

Consumer Member

  • The single consumer member remains, but the bill clarifies that the consumer member serves as a full voting member with rights and privileges, except the consumer member may not participate in grading individual examinations.
  • The consumer member serves at the pleasure of the Governor.

Nomination and Appointments Process

  • The Governor must ensure diversity (race, gender, ethnicity, geographic distribution) and broaden the distribution of medical specialties.
  • When filling vacancies, the Governor must request nominees from the nominating organization(s) and allow:
    • Response within 30 days.
    • Submission of a list of nominees within 90 days of the request.
  • If the nominating organization fails to meet these deadlines, the Governor may appoint a physician of his choosing.

Leadership (Board President)

  • The Governor may select the President of the Board from among the board members.
  • If the Governor does not appoint a President, the board must elect a President by majority vote.

Meetings and Domicile

  • Required minimum meetings increased: from at least one regular meeting per year to at least five meetings per year.
  • The Board remains domiciled in Baton Rouge; offices and meetings occur in Baton Rouge.

Executive Staff and Investigations

  • The Board must appoint executive staff, including:
    • An Executive Director: serves as the administrative head with oversight over all departments; not required to be a physician; shall not participate in investigations or discipline discussions of licensees.
    • A Director of Investigations: leads investigations into physician complaints; must be a Louisiana-licensed physician who maintains board certification and has actively practiced medicine in Louisiana for at least five years; must serve at the board’s pleasure; cannot concurrently serve as Executive Director.
  • The Director of Investigations must actively practice in the state.

Who Is Affected

  • Physicians seeking licensure or subject to disciplinary actions by the LSBME.
  • Consumer members involved in board deliberations, with limitations on examination grading.
  • The Governor, nominating organizations, and medical institutions providing nomination lists (LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Tulane Medical School, Louisiana Medical Association Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine, Louisiana Academy of Family Practice Physicians, and Louisiana Hospital Association).
  • The Board itself, its staff, and its administrative processes.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Nominating organizations have deadlines: 30 days to respond; 90 days to provide nominees after notice. If not met, the Governor may appoint a physician of his choosing.
  • Five or more required board meetings annually (up from one).
  • Potentially stricter diversity and geographic representation requirements guiding appointments.

Summary

HB 1220 restructures the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to emphasize physician-dominated membership (with a single consumer member), enhanced leadership and investigative staffing, increased governance and accountability measures, and a more robust nominating and appointment process designed to improve diversity and specialty coverage. It also expands meeting frequency and clarifies executive staff roles to strengthen the board’s administrative and investigative functions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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