TX HB1685

Creates a new "physician graduate" limited license allowing medical school graduates who have not completed residency training to practice medicine in Texas under supervision of a board-certified sponsoring physician

Requires applicants to be Texas residents, have graduated from an accredited medical school within two years of applying (or hold a foreign medical license), and have passed the first two components of the USMLE or equivalent exam

Physician graduates must enter a supervising practice agreement, can only provide services in the sponsoring physician's certified specialty, cannot prescribe Schedule II controlled substances, and must disclose their status to patients

Sponsoring physicians must hold unrestricted Texas medical licenses, be board-certified, have no disciplinary history, and bear liability for all medical acts performed or omitted by the physician graduate

Health insurance policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 must allow insureds to select a physician graduate for covered services within the graduate's licensed scope of practice