LICENSING: Physicians To Be Impacted By Residency Requirement
"A little-noticed provision of state and federal welfare reform" could require physicians, among many other licensed workers, to "prove they are U.S. citizens or legal residents the next time they renew their professional licenses," the Los Angeles Times reports. The state Department of Consumer Affairs, which renews licenses for physicians, "plans to begin unveiling its new regulations in March." State Consumer Affairs spokesperson Bob Brown said, "[A] professional license is a benefit, a valued commodity, and we want to make sure that it's reserved for legal U.S. residents." State officials say "citizens with professional licenses will have to prove their citizenship only once, and that the information then will be added to the state database." However, legal residents will have to prove residency "each time they renew their licenses." The Times notes that "more than 3 million people are licensed to do business in California and could be affected by the pending requirements" (Morain, 3/2).
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