On 10/8/2008, President Bush signed into law an extension of the Conrad 30 program.

To extend for 5 years the program relating to waiver of the foreign country residence requirement with respect to international medical graduates, and for other purposes.-------Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.

It is the sense of the Congress that---

(1) Federal programs waiving the 2-year foreign residence requirement under section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(e)) for physicians are generally designed to promote the delivery of critically needed medical services to people in the United States lacking adequate access to physician care; and

(2) when determining the qualification of a location for designation as a health professional shortage area, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should consider the needs of vulnerable populations in low-income and impoverished communities, communities with high infant mortality rates, and communities exhibiting other signs of a lack of necessary physician services.

Source: AILA