HB5522 Summary

• Requires continuing education courses for physicians, surgeons, nurses, and physician assistants to include curriculum on understanding implicit bias, effective January 1, 2022.

• Exempts continuing education courses dedicated solely to research or issues without a direct patient care component from implicit bias training requirements.

• Mandates courses address either examples of how implicit bias affects treatment decisions and health disparities, or strategies to address biases in decision-making related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics.

• Requires continuing education providers to ensure compliance beginning January 1, 2023, and directs the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to audit providers at least every 5 years and withhold approval from non-compliant providers.

• Takes effect immediately upon becoming law.