37-20-402. Criteria for licensing physician assistant -- criminal background checks. (1) A person may not be licensed as a physician assistant in this state unless the person:

(a) is of good moral character;

(b) is a graduate of a physician assistant training program accredited by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant or, if accreditation was granted before 2001, accredited by the American medical association's committee on allied health education and accreditation or the commission on accreditation of allied health education programs; and

(c) has taken and passed an examination administered by the national commission on certification of physician assistants.

(2) (a) Each applicant for licensure as a physician assistant shall:

(i) submit a full set of the applicant's fingerprints to the board for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal history background check; and

(ii) pay all fees charged for obtaining the state and federal criminal history background check.

(b) The board may require a licensee who is renewing a license to submit a full set of the licensee's fingerprints to the board for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal history background check.

(c) The Montana department of justice may share the fingerprint data obtained under this subsection (2) with the federal bureau of investigation.