New CME requirement rules go into effect Sept. 1

A handful of laws passed in the 89th Texas Legislature mean some important changes are in store for physicians needing to achieve and report CME requirements to renew their licenses. As of September 1, 2026, Texas physicians needing to renew their licenses must log their CME through CE Broker, a commercial online platform for tracking and reporting continuing education.

The new requirement stems from passage of Senate Bill 912 in the 2025 legislative session by Sen. César Blanco, (D-El Paso), making Texas one of a growing number of states mandating the use of CE Broker as the exclusive system for tracking and verifying continuing education for a variety of licensed professions.

The company offers a free “Basic” account that it says is sufficient to report required CME for licensure, but it offers three tiers of paid membership ranging from $39.99 to $199.99 per year that provide enhanced support and management features. TMB suggests physicians sign up for an account before September 1 to become acquainted with the system.

The basic CME requirements for licensure remain unchanged. Physicians must report a total of 48 hours every two years, with 24 of those being formal Category 1 or 1-A hours — AMA PRA Category 1 Credits,™ AOA Category 1-A credits, and AAFP Prescribed credits all suffice — and 24 informal hours in any format. 

While the imposition of CE Broker into the TMB licensing and renewal process will likely increase family physicians’ administrative burden, TAFP members will enjoy an advantage, according to TAFP COO Kathy McCarthy. All CME credits members earn from TAFP and AAFP will be automatically logged in their CE Broker accounts. “If you are a member of the Academy or you are maintaining board certification, you are earning more than twice the CME needed for your state license,” she says. “So it may make sense to count all of your AAFP and TAFP CME first and then fill in the rest of the required 48 credits in the simplest way you can. Your Academy invests significant resources to track and report your CME as a way to reduce your stress and administrative burden. Hopefully, those efforts will help as the medical board transitions to this new system.”

For more information on CE Broker and a tutorial on creating an account, watch this video. 

Other CME news to note

In addition to the courses mandated by the Texas Medical Board on pain management, ethics/professional responsibility, and human trafficking, family physicians must now complete a course on pregnancy-related medical emergencies. With the passage of the Life of the Mother Act, or S.B. 31, by Sen. Bryan Hughes, (R- Mineola), family physicians along with doctors in 11 other specified specialties must take a single one-hour course on pregnancy-related medical emergencies. TMB offers the only eligible course for free on MyTMB. All family physicians are required to complete the course, regardless of whether they provide obstetrical care.

The pain management requirement has been reduced from two hours every renewal period to two hours for the first two renewal periods, then two hours every eight years after that.

The human trafficking requirement will now be required only once. If TMB approves more than the one course it currently offers, direct patient care physicians will need to take a course every six years.

TAFP now provides AOA Category 1A credit!

This year, TAFP applied for and received accreditation through the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians to provide AOA Category 1-A credit for our CME courses. TAFP’s director of CME and compliance, Jessica Miley, is excited to offer AOA credit for the first time at this year’s Texas Family Medicine Symposium, June 5-7 at the Signia by Hilton La Cantera Resort and Spa in San Antonio.

“We chose to offer osteopathic CME credit to better support our DO members in meeting AOA requirements and accessing relevant educational opportunities,” she says. “This ensures our programming remains inclusive, meets the needs of osteopathic physicians, and continues to provide strong value to their membership with TAFP.”