California may soon have more Spanish-speaking doctors. A bill in the state Legislature would let doctors from El Salvador practice in California, similar to a long-standing program that brings in physicians from Mexico.
The goal is to fill healthcare gaps in underserved, Spanish-speaking communities.
San Fernando Valley Democratic Senator Caroline Menjivar is the bill's author.
"It is a three-year program," she said. "They can only come serve here for three years. There are eligibility requirements. They have to be able to speak English. They have to meet the board's requirements and licensing to come to California and serve in the gaps that exist now."
The bill has passed the Senate Business Professions and Economic Development Committee. It heads next to Appropriations.
The California Department of Health Care Access and Information identifies Spanish as the most underrepresented language in the state's health workforce.