| 1 | 1 | | 89R14997 CMO-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: McLaughlin H.B. No. 4186 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | physicians employed as county medical examiners. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.532, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a-1) A physician employed as a forensic pathologist is |
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| 15 | 15 | | eligible to receive repayment assistance under this subchapter to |
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| 16 | 16 | | the same extent as a physician who qualifies for repayment |
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| 17 | 17 | | assistance under Subsection (a), if the physician: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) satisfies the requirements of Subsections (a)(1) |
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| 19 | 19 | | and (2); and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) enters into a written agreement with the board to |
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| 21 | 21 | | complete four consecutive years of practice as a forensic |
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| 22 | 22 | | pathologist employed as a county medical examiner in a county |
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| 23 | 23 | | located within 100 kilometers of the Rio Grande River. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.533, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 25 | 25 | | adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) Repayment assistance grants paid in relation to |
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| 27 | 27 | | services described by Section 61.532(a-1) are limited to 10 |
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| 28 | 28 | | physicians. In selecting physicians to receive repayment |
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| 29 | 29 | | assistance under this subsection, the board shall prioritize |
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| 30 | 30 | | physicians employed as a county medical examiner serving counties |
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| 31 | 31 | | with the highest demand for forensic pathologist services based on: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) the relative scarcity of forensic pathologists in |
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| 33 | 33 | | the county; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) the average caseload of the county medical |
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| 35 | 35 | | examiner. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) A physician employed as a forensic pathologist who |
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| 37 | 37 | | enters into an agreement with the board under Section |
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| 38 | 38 | | 61.532(a-1)(2) shall reimburse the board for the amount of any |
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| 39 | 39 | | repayment assistance received by the physician under this |
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| 40 | 40 | | subchapter if the physician fails to complete the consecutive years |
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| 41 | 41 | | of practice required by that section. The board by rule may provide |
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| 42 | 42 | | an exception to the reimbursement required under this subsection in |
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| 43 | 43 | | the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown by a |
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| 44 | 44 | | physician. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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