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HB236 • 2026

African-American Resident Physician Scholarship Program; establish.

AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-106-85, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESIDENT PHYSICIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN PHYSICIANS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES IN UNDERSERVED MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI; TO REQUIRE THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER TO ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ELIGIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT UPON ENTERING THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM MUST SERVE IN A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA, MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA, OR RURAL AREA OTHERWISE APPROVED FOR PRACTICE IN MISSISSIPPI FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS; TO REQUIRE THE PHYSICIAN TO REPAY IF THEY DO NOT FULFILL SUCH OBLIGATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Education Healthcare Labor
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Scott
Last action
2026-02-03
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on penalties or repayment terms beyond the obligation to repay financial assistance received through the program.

African-American Resident Physician Scholarship Program

This bill proposes a scholarship program to increase the number of African-American physicians working in underserved areas of Mississippi.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the African-American Resident Physician Scholarship Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
  • Requires the university to adopt rules and regulations for administering the scholarship program.
  • Specifies that participants must serve in a health professional shortage area, medically underserved area, or rural area approved for practice in Mississippi for five years after entering medical practice.

Who It Names or Affects

  • African-American medical students and residents at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • People living in underserved areas of Mississippi who need healthcare services

Terms To Know

Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)
An area where there are not enough doctors, dentists, mental health providers, or other healthcare workers to meet the needs of people living there.
Medically Underserved Area (MUA)
A place that has a high number of low-income residents and poor access to medical care.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass, so the program was never created.
  • It is unclear how much money would be available for scholarships.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-03 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/03 (H) Died In Committee

  2. 2026-01-07 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/07 (H) Referred To Public Health and Human Services;Appropriations A

Official Summary Text

African-American Resident Physician Scholarship Program; establish.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H. B. No. 236 *HR43/R1259* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R1259
PAGE 1 (RF\KP)

To: Public Health and Human
Services; Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 236

AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-106-85, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1
1972, TO CREATE THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESIDENT PHYSICIAN 2
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF 3
MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE 4
NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN PHYSICIANS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES IN 5
UNDERSERVED MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI; TO REQUIRE 6
THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER TO ADOPT RULES AND 7
REGULATIONS TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE FOR THE 8
ELIGIBILITY OF THE PROGRAM; TO PROVIDE THAT UPON ENTERING THE 9
PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM MUST SERVE IN A 10
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA, MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREA, OR 11
RURAL AREA OTHERWISE APPROVED FOR PRACTICE IN MISSISSIPPI FOR AT 12
LEAST FIVE YEARS; TO REQUIRE THE PHYSICIAN TO REPAY IF THEY DO NOT 13
FULFILL SUCH OBLIGATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 15
SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 16
37-106-85, Mississippi Code of 1972: 17
37-106-85. (1) There is created the African-American 18
Resident Physician Scholarship Program to be administered by the 19
University of Mississippi Medical Center for the purpose of 20
increasing the number of African-American physicians that provide 21
services in underserved municipalities or counties in Mississippi. 22
The University of Mississippi Medical Center shall adopt 23
rules and regulations to administer the scholarship program. 24
H. B. No. 236 *HR43/R1259* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R1259
PAGE 2 (RF\KP)
ST: African-American Resident Physician
Scholarship Program; establish.
(2) Upon entering the practice of medicine, a participant in 25
the program must serve in a health professional shortage area 26
(HPSA), medically underserved area (MUA), or rural area otherwise 27
approved for practice in Mississippi for at least five (5) years. 28
A participant who completes this period of service shall be 29
considered to have fulfilled all financial obligations of 30
repayment under the program. 31
(3) A participant who completes his or her residency and 32
fails to enter the practice of medicine as required under this 33
section shall be deemed in breach of contract and shall be liable 34
for the immediate repayment of all financial assistance provided 35
to the participant through the African-American Resident Physician 36
Scholarship Program, including assistance provided during 37
undergraduate school, as well as in medical or osteopathic school, 38
along with other penalties that may be prescribed in policy by the 39
board. Any participant who fails to complete the period of 40
practice for which he or she is obligated to provide services in a 41
health professional shortage area (HPSA), medically underserved 42
area (MUA) or other approved rural area in Mississippi in exchange 43
for financial assistance received through the African-American 44
Resident Physician Scholarship Program shall be liable for the 45
repayment of all financial assistance provided to the participant 46
through the program. 47
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 48
and after July 1, 2026. 49