HB 4920 — Comprehensive Summary
Overview
HB 4920 proposes amendments to the Michigan Public Health Code to modify continuing education (CE) requirements for license renewal of physicians (allopathic and osteopathic) and podiatrists. The bill would set baseline CE hours, create a phased-in schedule, and require additional training in pain and symptom management. It authorizes the licensing boards to establish rules as part of renewal requirements and to approve CE programs.
What changes the bill would make
- Subject and scope
- Applies to three professions:
- Physicians (allopathic medicine) under Sec. 17033
- Osteopathic physicians under Sec. 17533
- Podiatrists under Sec. 18033
- Each profession would be subject to a CE requirement for license renewal, with the boards allowed to require satisfactory evidence of CE attendance in the 3 years preceding renewal.
CE hours and phase-in
- For all three professions, the bill sets:
- Until December 31, 2026: at least 150 CE hours
- Beginning January 1, 2027: at least 120 CE hours
- The CE must be in subjects related to the practice of the respective profession and designed to further education, including, but not limited to, medical ethics.
Pain and symptom management
- For all three professions, the boards must promulgate rules requiring an appropriate number of CE hours or courses specifically in pain and symptom management as part of the renewal CE requirement (per section 16204).
Rulemaking and authority
- The CE requirements are stated as “Notwithstanding the requirements of part 161,” giving the boards explicit authority to set renewal CE beyond existing baseline licensing requirements.
Status and timeline
- Introduced: March 13, 2025
- First reading: April 3, 2025
- Referred to: Ways & Means (April 3, 2025) and later to Committee on Health Policy (September 11, 2025)
- Status as of the bill’s electronically reproduced version: September 11, 2025
- Effective date: Not specified in the provided text
Who would be affected
- Licensed physicians (MDs), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs), and licensed podiatrists practicing in Michigan.
- License renewal applicants who must demonstrate the revised CE hours and any required pain-management training.
Potential impact
- Administrative: Licensees will need to plan and document increased CE hours, with a transition from 150 to 120 hours starting in 2027.
- Educational: Emphasis on ethics and pain/symptom management could shift CE offerings toward these topics.
- Operational: Licensing boards would implement new rule requirements and approve CE programs.
Notes
- The bill references rulemaking under section 16204 and ongoing activities to define the pain and symptom management CE component.
- No fiscal impact is stated in the provided text.
