Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González Colón signed into law a measure meant to make it easier to recruit forensic pathologists and other specialized medical professionals for the Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences (ICF). House Bill 1380 became Law 230-2026. It lets the ICF extend conditional job offers to physicians in their final year of training in forensic pathology or other hard-to-recruit medical specialties, so the agency can identify and attract them before other jurisdictions recruit them.
González Colón said the law addresses one of the agency’s main challenges: the difficulty of recruiting forensic pathologists and other highly specialized medical professionals. According to the bill’s statement of motives, a shortage of specialized staff can delay autopsies, expert reports and other medical-legal procedures. The law also aims to ease succession planning at the Institute and the transfer of knowledge between experienced professionals and new specialists.
The conditional offers will not be automatic appointments. Candidates must complete their academic training, meet legal and professional requirements, and obtain the corresponding licenses and certifications before starting work in public service. The governor said the measure will let the Institute anticipate recruitment needs, attract specialized talent and guarantee continuity of services essential to the administration of justice. ICF Executive Director María Conte Miller and Sen. Gregorio Matías attended the signing.