SB 583 — Creating emeritus physician license

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 583 ByBYS SenatorENATORTAKUBO TakuboAWDOELFEL [Introduced[Reported JanuaryFebruary 22,3, 2026;2026, from the Committee on Government Organization] CS for SB 583 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §30-3-12a, relating to creating an emeritus physician license;

referred to the Committee on Government Organization;

and then to the Committee on Finance] Intr SB 583 2026R2870 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §30-3-12a, relating to creating an emeritus physician license;

(1) The applicant is not under investigation for a violation of professional conduct standards by the Boardboard or by any professional licensing board where the applicant holds a professional license;

(2) The applicant has practiced as a licensed physician, podiatric physicianphysician, or physician assistant in West Virginia for at least 10 years;

(3) The applicant has not been the subject of disciplinary action in a jurisdiction where the individual is licensed that resulted in the revocation, surrendersurrender, or suspension of the individual’s license and the applicant does not hold a license in any jurisdiction that is subject to probation;

(4) The applicant has voluntarily and fully retired from the active practice of the applicant’s profession and does not hold an active registration with the federal drugDrug enforcementEnforcement administration.Administration.

(b) Until July 1, 20302030, the Boardboard is further authorized to issue, without a fee, an emeritus license to a provider whose license expired prior to July 1, 20252025, and who submits an application CS for SB 583 on the form required by the Boardboard which confirms that the retired provider meets all other criteria for Intr SB 2026R2870 emeritus licensure set forth in subsection a.(a) of this section.

(g) The board shallmay promulgate rules for legislative approval in accordance with §29A-3-1 et seq.

(B) Evidence that the provider retired while underunder, or to avoidavoid, a pending board complaint or investigation process;

or (C) Evidence that the provider’s West Virginia license was on probation, suspended, revokedrevoked, or subject to disciplinary surrender prior to retirement.retirement;

and (3) A process for voluntary relinquishment of an emeritus license;license.

NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to The purpose of this bill is to create an emeritus physician license for retired physicians.

The bill provides that when granted, a license is valid for life, unless revoked by the West Virginia Board of Medicine.

2 Intr SB 2026R2870 Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.