Idaho Bills

Amends and adds to existing law to revise provisions regarding medical education programs supported by Idaho state funds.

Idaho does not have its own state-run medical school, requiring partnerships to deliver medical education to Idaho students. This legislation expands opportunities for Idaho to add medical education seats other than the University of Washington’s WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) medical education program. Beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year, the state board of education shall increase the number of reserved slots per incoming class by ten (10) each year for Idaho medical education other than the WWAMI program, until the incoming class size reaches thirty (30) students. For all but twenty (20) of the non-WWAMI students per incoming class, all the medical education coursework and a majority of the clinical placements shall be physically located in Idaho. Beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year, the number of reserved slots reserved for Idaho medical education students in the WWAMI program may be decreased by at least ten (10) students. The state board of education shall appoint a working group to develop a medical education plan and deliver it to the Governor and Legislature by January 2, 2026 which shall: (a) address how the plan will reduce the physician shortage in Idaho in conjunction with graduate medical education; (b) ensure quality of medical education programs for Idaho students; (c) maximize the amount of medical education funds spent in Idaho; (d) maximize the number of clinical medical education placements located in and managed by Idaho; (e) maximize the number of medical residency placements in Idaho; (f) minimize conflicts with medical education program partners; and (g) minimize conflicts in delivering medical education coursework and clinical medical education placements to students enrolled in different medical education programs.