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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Center for Rural Health |
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Education at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 79, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Section 79.11 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 79.11. TEXAS CENTER FOR RURAL HEALTH EDUCATION. (a) |
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In this section, "center" means the Texas Center for Rural Health |
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Education. |
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(b) The Texas Center for Rural Health Education is |
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established at the university. |
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(c) The organization, control, and management of the center |
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are vested in the board. |
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(d) Subject to the availability of money appropriated, |
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gifted, or granted for the purposes of the center, the center shall: |
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(1) perform an initial assessment of rural health |
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education in this state; |
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(2) develop appropriate performance metrics to |
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measure improvement in rural health education and health care |
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outcomes; |
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(3) conduct research regarding rural health |
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education, including research to identify: |
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(A) best practices in rural health education; and |
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(B) underserved rural areas; |
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(4) develop recommendations regarding the allocation |
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of funding for tuition and loan repayment programs available to |
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rural health care professionals; |
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(5) develop partnerships between high schools, |
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postsecondary institutions of higher education, and local medical |
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systems to recruit, train, and retain health care professionals to |
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serve in underserved rural areas; |
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(6) develop a plan to improve rural health education |
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and health care outcomes; and |
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(7) develop and maintain an Internet website that |
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provides information regarding rural health education research and |
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resources. |
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(e) Subject to the availability of money appropriated, |
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gifted, or granted for the purposes of the center, not later than |
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December 1 of each even-numbered year, the center shall submit to |
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the legislature a report on rural health education and health care |
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outcomes in this state. The report must include a summary of the |
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center's activities under Subsection (d) and any recommendations |
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for legislative or other action. |
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(f) The university shall encourage public or private |
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entities to participate in or support the operation of the center |
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and may enter into an agreement with any public or private entity |
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for that purpose. An agreement may allow the center to provide |
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information, services, or other assistance to an entity in exchange |
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for the entity's participation or support. |
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(g) The board may solicit, accept, and administer gifts and |
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grants from any public or private source for the purposes of the |
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center. |
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(h) The board may employ personnel for the center as |
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necessary. |
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(i) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2024, the Texas Center |
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for Rural Health Education shall submit to the legislature the |
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first biennial report required under Section 79.11, Education Code, |
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as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |