89R14997 CMO-F
By: McLaughlin H.B. No. 4186
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain
physicians employed as county medical examiners.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 61.532, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) A physician employed as a forensic pathologist is
eligible to receive repayment assistance under this subchapter to
the same extent as a physician who qualifies for repayment
assistance under Subsection (a), if the physician:
(1) satisfies the requirements of Subsections (a)(1)
and (2); and
(2) enters into a written agreement with the board to
complete four consecutive years of practice as a forensic
pathologist employed as a county medical examiner in a county
located within 100 kilometers of the Rio Grande River.
SECTION 2. Section 61.533, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
(c) Repayment assistance grants paid in relation to
services described by Section 61.532(a-1) are limited to 10
physicians. In selecting physicians to receive repayment
assistance under this subsection, the board shall prioritize
physicians employed as a county medical examiner serving counties
with the highest demand for forensic pathologist services based on:
(1) the relative scarcity of forensic pathologists in
the county; and
(2) the average caseload of the county medical
examiner.
(d) A physician employed as a forensic pathologist who
enters into an agreement with the board under Section
61.532(a-1)(2) shall reimburse the board for the amount of any
repayment assistance received by the physician under this
subchapter if the physician fails to complete the consecutive years
of practice required by that section. The board by rule may provide
an exception to the reimbursement required under this subsection in
the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown by a
physician.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.