(1)

(a) There is established a special volunteer medical license for physicians who are retired from active practice, or are currently serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or in the National Guard or a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, or are working as physicians for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and wish to donate their expertise for the medical care and treatment of indigent and needy persons or persons in medically underserved areas of the state. The special volunteer medical license shall be issued by the State Board of Medical Licensure to eligible physicians without the payment of any application fee, examination fee, license fee or renewal fee, shall be issued for a fiscal year or part thereof, and shall be renewable annually upon approval of the board.

(b) A physician must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a special volunteer medical license:

(i) Completion of a special volunteer medical license application, including documentation of the physician’s medical school or osteopathic school graduation and practice history;

(ii) Documentation that the physician has been previously issued an unrestricted license to practice medicine in Mississippi or in another state of the United States and that he or she has never been the subject of any medical disciplinary action in any jurisdiction;

(iii) Acknowledgement and documentation that the physician’s practice under the special volunteer medical license will be exclusively and totally devoted to providing medical care to needy and indigent persons in Mississippi or persons in medically underserved areas in Mississippi; and

(iv) Acknowledgement and documentation that the physician will not receive any payment or compensation, either direct or indirect, or have the expectation of any payment or compensation, for any medical services rendered under the special volunteer medical license.

(2)

(a) There is established a special volunteer license for physician assistants who are retired from active practice, or are currently serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States or in the National Guard or a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, or are working as physician assistants for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and wish to donate their expertise for the care and treatment of indigent and needy persons or persons in medically underserved areas of the state. The special volunteer physician assistant license shall be issued by the State Board of Medical Licensure to eligible physician assistants without the payment of any application fee, examination fee, license fee or renewal fee, shall be issued for a fiscal year or part thereof, and shall be renewable annually upon approval of the board.

(b) A physician assistant must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a special volunteer physician assistant license:

(i) Completion of an application for a special volunteer physician assistant license, including documentation of the physician assistant’s educational qualifications and practice history;

(ii) Documentation that the physician assistant has been previously issued an unrestricted physician assistant license in Mississippi or in another state of the United States and that he or she has never been the subject of any disciplinary action in any jurisdiction;

(iii) Acknowledgement and documentation that the physician assistant’s practice under the special volunteer physician assistant license will be exclusively and totally devoted to providing care to needy and indigent persons in Mississippi or persons in medically underserved areas in Mississippi; and

(iv) Acknowledgement and documentation that the physician assistant will not receive any payment or compensation, either direct or indirect, or have the expectation of any payment or compensation, for any services rendered under the special volunteer physician assistant license.