Temporary Certificates for Practice in Areas of Critical Need

The requirement for certificateholders to have established an active patient relationship by January 1, 2026, was removed. Practitioners can now continue treating patients in areas that lost their critical need status if they maintain an active relationship with those patients, regardless of when that relationship was formed.

The language regarding board oversight was changed from 'at the discretion of the board' to 'if the board finds that all other requirements are satisfied,' shifting the decision from purely discretionary to a finding based on compliance verification.

The definition of the conditions under which a certificate remains valid was updated to clarify that the certificate can continue if the area lost its designation but the practitioner maintains an active treatment relationship in that area.