Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 400	House Author:  Klick et al.
Effective:  9-1-23	Senate Sponsor:  Kolkhorst et al.

            House Bill 400 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to establish the following grant programs:

·        a psychiatric specialty innovation grant program for awarding incentive payments to medical schools that administer innovative residency training programs designed to increase the number of physicians in Texas who specialize in pediatric or adult psychiatric care; and

·        a behavioral health innovation grant program for awarding incentive payments to public institutions of higher education that administer innovative recruitment, training, and retention programs designed to increase the number of mental health professionals or professionals in related fields.

The bill caps the amount of a grant awarded under either program at $1 million and sets out requirements relating to the awarding of those grants. The bill requires a medical school or institution of higher education that receives a grant under the bill's provisions to submit to the THECB an annual report on the expenditure of grant funds.