Dive Brief:
- A bill recently passed in the California State Senate would allow undocumented immigrants to practice medicine, the Los Angeles Times reports.
- Under the terms of the bill, state licensing boards would be allowed to accept applicants' taxpayer identification numbers as a valid from of identification, rather than their Social Security numbers, which are currently required.
- The bill's supporters say the legislation would offer the nearly 2 million undocumented immigrants in California a chance for upward mobility, according to the LAT.
Dive Insight:
The bill is controversial in some circles, with opponents contending that it encourages illegal immigration. But one advantage of the legislation is that it could enlarge the supply of Spanish-speaking doctors available to the immense Latino community in California, which could arguably serve their needs better.