AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-153-235 AND 37-153-237, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PARAMEDICS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
HB650 revises Mississippi’s Paramedics Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Program. The bill keeps the program in place through the Office of Workforce Development, with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security serving as fiscal agent, and continues to fund scholarships that cover the full cost of tuition, fees, books, and required uniforms for qualified applicants enrolled in an accredited paramedic program. It also continues reimbursement for the fee to take and pass the National Registry Paramedic cognitive and psychomotor examinations.
The bill tightens and clarifies eligibility and service obligations. To qualify, an applicant must be a certified EMT, meet the requirements for an accredited paramedic program, and commit to living in Mississippi for at least three years. Grant recipients must also agree to serve as paramedics in Mississippi for three continuous years. If they fail to meet the service or residency requirements, they must repay the scholarship funds with interest, subject to specified limits. The bill also exempts repayment and interest accrual during involuntary active-duty military service and allows the Office of Workforce Development to adopt rules, while capping administrative costs at 5% of appropriated funds.
The bill’s impact on state law is to amend Sections 37-153-235 and 37-153-237 of the Mississippi Code to refine the structure, eligibility, and enforcement provisions of the paramedic scholarship program. It preserves the state’s authority to use appropriated funds to recruit and retain paramedics, while strengthening the contractual obligations tied to the scholarship. The act would take effect July 1, 2026.
The general sentiment reflected in the bill text is supportive of workforce development and emergency medical services staffing, with an emphasis on addressing paramedic shortages by incentivizing training and in-state service. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented opposition or debate in the available materials. The bill appears straightforward and administrative in nature, focused on recruitment, retention, and repayment enforcement rather than broader policy conflict.
Notable points of contention, based on the bill language itself, would likely center on the three-year Mississippi residency and service commitment, as well as the repayment obligation with interest if recipients do not fulfill the terms. Those provisions create a strong retention incentive but also impose a financial penalty for noncompliance. The military-service exception may be viewed as a fairness provision, while the 5% administrative cap and rulemaking authority may be relevant to implementation concerns.
HB650 amends Mississippi Code Sections 37-153-235 and 37-153-237 to continue and refine the Paramedics Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Program. It preserves state-funded scholarships for paramedic education and exam fees, sets eligibility and service requirements for recipients, authorizes rulemaking by the Office of Workforce Development, limits administrative spending to 5% of appropriated funds, and establishes repayment-with-interest consequences for recipients who do not complete the required in-state service. The bill primarily affects aspiring paramedics, current EMTs seeking advancement, the Office of Workforce Development, and the state agencies administering the program.
The available materials suggest generally favorable sentiment toward the bill, as it is designed to strengthen Mississippi’s paramedic workforce by reducing training costs and encouraging graduates to remain and work in the state. No committee discussion or vote record is provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition in the record supplied. The bill appears to be a targeted workforce retention measure with a practical public-safety purpose.
The main potential points of contention are the mandatory three-year Mississippi residency and service commitment and the repayment requirement if a recipient leaves the state or does not work as a paramedic. Those provisions could be viewed as necessary safeguards to ensure the scholarship achieves its retention goal, but they also impose a significant obligation on recipients. The bill’s interest accrual and immediate repayment triggers may draw scrutiny from applicants or policymakers concerned about fairness, while the military-service exemption and administrative-cost cap may be seen as balancing measures.