BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 446 By: Luna Education 2-27-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio has contracted with the U.S. Army to grant degrees for the Physician Assistant Program at the Academy of Health Sciences at Fort Sam Houston. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 446 provides that the requirement that a government or political science course include emphasis on the Texas Constitution does not apply to certain degree programs operated by a higher education medical or dental unit under contract with the U.S. Army. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 51.301, Education Code, to provide that the requirement that a government or political science course include emphasis on the Texas Constitution does not apply to a degree granted by an academic program offered by a medical and dental unit to a student in the U.S. armed forces if the program is operated under contract with the U.S. Army, requires less than two years of residency in this state, and the participants in the program are military personnel stationed outside of this state. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.