Physicians and surgeons: licensure: expedite fee.

Assembly Member Valencia's proposal to establish an expedited licensure pathway for California physicians and surgeons would allow applicants to fast-track their medical license applications by paying an optional fee. The Medical Board of California would set this expedite fee based on actual processing costs, not to exceed $250.

The measure maintains all existing licensure requirements while creating a new voluntary mechanism for faster application processing. Applicants choosing the expedited pathway must still meet all statutory and regulatory standards for medical licensure in California. The bill specifies that certain categories of applicants already eligible for expedited processing under current law, including military spouses and those qualifying under specific Business and Professions Code sections, would not need to pay the new fee.

Under the proposed framework, fees collected through this program would be deposited in the Medical Board's Contingent Fund, following established protocols for licensure-related revenue. The Medical Board would need to develop internal procedures to implement the expedited processing system while ensuring compliance with the fee ceiling and maintaining existing licensure standards.