By: Rodriguez H.B. No. 1646 73R5827 CBH-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the transfer of the MedPREP program from the Texas 1-3 Higher Education Coordinating Board to the Center for Rural Health 1-4 Initiatives. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 106, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-7 by adding Subchapter D to read as follows: 1-8 SUBCHAPTER D. MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE 1-9 PROFESSIONS RECRUITMENT FUND 1-10 Sec. 106.071. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-11 (1) "Coordinator" means the executive director or the 1-12 executive director's designee. 1-13 (2) "Fund" means the medical and health care 1-14 professions recruitment fund. 1-15 (3) "MedPREP" means the medical preparation program. 1-16 (4) "Postsecondary educational institution" means: 1-17 (A) an institution of higher education, as that 1-18 term is defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; or 1-19 (B) a private, nonprofit institution of higher 1-20 education, other than a private institution of higher education 1-21 operated exclusively for sectarian purposes, accredited by the 1-22 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and any other 1-23 association or organization so designated by the Texas Higher 1-24 Education Coordinating Board. 2-1 (5) "Program" means the MedPREP program. 2-2 (6) "Underserved population" means: 2-3 (A) black Americans, Mexican-Americans and other 2-4 Americans of Hispanic origin, American Indians, Eskimos, and 2-5 Aleuts; and 2-6 (B) residents of a nonmetropolitan county as 2-7 defined by the United States Bureau of the Census in its most 2-8 recent census. 2-9 Sec. 106.072. ADMINISTRATION. The center shall administer 2-10 or contract for the administration of the program. 2-11 Sec. 106.073. Fund. (a) The medical and health care 2-12 professions recruitment fund is created as a special fund in the 2-13 state treasury. The fund consists of gifts, grants, and donations. 2-14 (b) The executive committee may solicit and accept gifts, 2-15 grants, donations, and manpower contributions from local, state, 2-16 and national colleges and universities, private industry, military 2-17 commands, other government agencies, local school districts, and 2-18 summer youth employment and training sponsors. 2-19 (c) Unless otherwise provided by the General Appropriations 2-20 Act, the center may use money appropriated to the center to support 2-21 the fund. 2-22 (d) The executive committee shall adopt rules for the 2-23 administration of the fund. 2-24 Sec. 106.074. Use of Fund. The executive committee shall 2-25 allocate the fund to eligible nonprofit organizations for the 2-26 purpose of: 2-27 (1) establishing or operating various locations for 3-1 the purpose of assisting members of underserved populations in 3-2 preparing for a medical or health care profession; and 3-3 (2) disseminating information concerning: 3-4 (A) educational and career opportunities in 3-5 medical and health care; and 3-6 (B) the fund and programs funded under this 3-7 subchapter. 3-8 Sec. 106.075. Allocation of Fund. (a) The coordinator 3-9 shall allocate the fund in accordance with guidelines adopted by 3-10 the executive committee. The guidelines must ensure that MedPREP 3-11 programs approved for funding: 3-12 (1) use professional volunteers at each level of 3-13 instruction; 3-14 (2) require parental involvement; 3-15 (3) coordinate with public school officials to 3-16 identify and recruit program participants; 3-17 (4) coordinate with postsecondary educational 3-18 institutions; 3-19 (5) involve organizations of members of underserved 3-20 populations; 3-21 (6) involve participants from grades nine through 12; 3-22 (7) provide demonstrated professional leadership in 3-23 educational activities for members of underserved populations; and 3-24 (8) are compatible with state and federal laws 3-25 governing education. 3-26 (b) Preference shall be given to programs that stress the 3-27 development of medical and applied health professions competence. 4-1 (c) In making allocations, the coordinator may solicit 4-2 advice from public or private organizations working to recruit 4-3 members of underserved populations into medical and applied health 4-4 careers. 4-5 (d) The comptroller shall issue a warrant drawn on the fund 4-6 on receipt of a voucher approved by the coordinator. 4-7 (e) The executive committee shall adopt rules establishing 4-8 procedures that an entity must use to apply for funding and to 4-9 account for funds received. 4-10 Sec. 106.076. Eligibility. (a) To be eligible to receive 4-11 funds under this subchapter, a MedPREP program: 4-12 (1) must be operated in conjunction with a 4-13 postsecondary educational institution; 4-14 (2) must qualify for exemption from federal income 4-15 taxation under Section 501, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 4-16 U.S.C. Sec. 501); 4-17 (3) may not distribute earnings to a private 4-18 shareholder or other individual; 4-19 (4) must agree that at least 70 percent of the 4-20 participants will be students from underserved populations with not 4-21 less than 30 percent of that group being women; and 4-22 (5) must agree to cooperate with the coordinator in an 4-23 annual follow-up of previous participants. 4-24 (b) The coordinator shall determine annually which programs 4-25 meet the requirements of Subsection (a). 4-26 Sec. 106.077. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The state advisory 4-27 and oversight committee consists of nine members, including the 5-1 coordinator and eight other members reflecting the minority groups 5-2 served by this program, with: 5-3 (1) one person appointed by the governor; 5-4 (2) one person appointed by the lieutenant governor; 5-5 (3) one person appointed by the speaker; and 5-6 (4) five persons appointed by the coordinator. 5-7 (b) A member appointed to the advisory committee serves for 5-8 a four-year term. 5-9 Sec. 106.078. PROGRAM REVIEW. The coordinator shall prepare 5-10 an annual report accounting for the use of funds under this 5-11 subchapter and including a follow-up of participants from MedPREP 5-12 programs from previous years. 5-13 SECTION 2. Subchapter O, Chapter 51, Education Code, as 5-14 added by Chapter 1084, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular 5-15 Session, 1989, is repealed. 5-16 SECTION 3. (a) The terms of the members of the state 5-17 advisory and oversight committee for the MedPREP program who were 5-18 appointed by the commissioner of higher education expire on the 5-19 effective date of this Act. On or after that date, the executive 5-20 director of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives shall appoint 5-21 four members to serve terms expiring February 1, 1997. 5-22 (b) All appropriations made by the legislature to the Texas 5-23 Higher Education Coordinating Board relating to the MedPREP program 5-24 are transferred to the Center for Rural Health Initiatives. 5-25 (c) All records, obligations, contracts, and property of the 5-26 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board relating to the MedPREP 5-27 program are transferred to the Center for Rural Health Initiatives. 6-1 (d) A rule or form of the Texas Higher Education 6-2 Coordinating Board relating to the MedPREP program on the effective 6-3 date of this Act is continued in effect as a rule or form of the 6-4 Center for Rural Health Initiatives until amended or repealed. 6-5 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993. 6-6 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 6-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 6-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 6-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 6-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.