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1. A complete registration application containing the physician’s legal name, mailing address, telephone number, business locations, the names of the jurisdictions where the physician holds an active and valid license to practice osteopathic medicine, and the license number or other identifying number issued to the physician by the jurisdiction’s licensing entity; and 2. An application fee of $50.(b) The department shall approve an application for an expert witness certificate within 10 business days after receipt of the completed application and payment of the application fee if the applicant holds an active and valid license to practice osteopathic medicine in another state or a province of Canada and has not had a previous expert witness certificate revoked by the board. An application is approved by default if the department does not act upon the application within the required period. A physician must notify the department in writing of his or her intent to rely on a certificate approved by default. (c) An expert witness certificate is valid for 2 years after the date of issuance.(2) An expert witness certificate authorizes the physician to whom the certificate is issued to do only the following:(a) Provide a verified written medical expert opinion as provided in s. 766.203.b) Provide expert testimony about the prevailing professional standard of care in connection with medical negligence litigation pending in this state against a physician licensed.(c) Provide expert testimony in criminal child abuse and neglect cases pursuant to chapter 827, dependency cases pursuant to chapter 39, and cases involving sexual battery of a child pursuant to chapter 794 in this state. (3) An expert witness certificate does not authorize a physician to engage in the practice of osteopathic medicine as defined in s. 459.003. A physician issued a certificate under this section who does not otherwise practice osteopathic medicine in this state is not required to obtain a license under this chapter or pay any license fees, including, but not limited to, a neurological injury compensation assessment. An expert witness certificate shall be treated as a license in any disciplinary action, and the holder of an expert witness certificate shall be subject to discipline by the board.

459.0075 Limited licenses.—

(1) Any person desiring to obtain a limited license shall:

(a) Submit to the board a licensure application and fee required by this chapter. However, an osteopathic physician who is not fully retired in all jurisdictions may use a limited license only for noncompensated practice. If the person applying for a limited license submits a statement from the employing agency or institution stating that she or he will not receive monetary compensation for any service involving the practice of osteopathic medicine, the application fee and all licensure fees shall be waived. However, any person who receives a waiver of fees for a limited license shall pay such fees if the person receives compensation for the practice of osteopathic medicine.

(b) Submit proof that such osteopathic physician has been licensed to practice osteopathic medicine in any jurisdiction in the United States in good standing and pursuant to law for at least 10 years.

(c) Complete an amount of continuing education established by the board.

(2) If it has been more than 3 years since active practice was conducted by the applicant, the full-time director of the local county health department shall supervise the applicant for a period of 6 months after the applicant is granted a limited license to practice, unless the board determines that a shorter period of supervision will be sufficient to ensure that the applicant is qualified for licensure pursuant to this section. Procedures for such supervision shall be established by the board.

(3) The recipient of a limited license may practice only in the employ of public agencies or institutions or nonprofit agencies or institutions meeting the requirements of s. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, which agencies or institutions are located in areas of critical medical need or in medically underserved areas as determined pursuant to 42 U.S.C. s. 300e-1(7).

(4) The board shall notify the director of the full-time local county health department of any county in which a licensee intends to practice under the provisions of this section. The director of the full-time county health department shall assist in the supervision of any licensee within her or his county and shall notify the board if she or he becomes aware of any action by the licensee which would be a ground for revocation of the limited license. The board shall establish procedures for such supervision.

(5) The State Board of Osteopathic Medicine shall review the practice of each licensee under this section biennially to verify compliance with the restrictions prescribed in this section and other provisions of this chapter.

(6) Any person holding an active license to practice osteopathic medicine in the state may convert that license to a limited license for the purpose of providing volunteer, uncompensated care for low-income Floridians. The applicant must submit a statement from the employing agency or institution stating that he or she will not receive compensation for any service involving the practice of osteopathic medicine. The application and all licensure fees, including neurological injury compensation assessments, shall be waived.

459.0076 Temporary certificate for practice in areas of critical need.—

(1) A physician who is licensed to practice in any jurisdiction of the United States, whose license is currently valid, and who pays an application fee of $300 may be issued a temporary certificate for practice in areas of critical need.

(2) A certificate may be issued to a physician who:

(a) Will practice in an area of critical need;

(b) Will be employed by or practice in a county health department; correctional facility; Department of Veterans’ Affairs clinic; community health center funded by s. 329, s. 330, or s. 340 of the United States Public Health Services Act; or other agency or institution that is approved by the State Surgeon General and provides health care to meet the needs of underserved populations in this state; or

(c) Will practice for a limited time to address critical physician-specialty, demographic, or geographic needs for this state’s physician workforce as determined by the State Surgeon General.

(3) The Board of Osteopathic Medicine may issue this temporary certificate with the following restrictions:

(a) The State Surgeon General shall determine the areas of critical need. Such areas include, but are not limited to, health professional shortage areas designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

1. A recipient of a temporary certificate for practice in areas of critical need may use the certificate to work for any approved entity in any area of critical need or as authorized by the State Surgeon General.

2. The recipient of a temporary certificate for practice in areas of critical need shall, within 30 days after accepting employment, notify the board of all approved institutions in which the licensee practices and of all approved institutions where practice privileges have been denied.

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