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.