BG C.S.H.B. 1647 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


PUBLIC HEALTH
C.S.H.B. 1647
By: Delisi
3-19-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

In 1977, the Family Practice Residency Program was created by the 65th
Texas Legislature, with it's goal being "to distribute family physicians
and improve medical care in underserved urban and rural areas of the
state."  In 1989, the Texas Legislature passed the Omnibus Health Care
Rescue Act. This created the Rural Rotation Program, a state-funded,
optional, one-month experience aimed at increasing Texas family practice
residents' exposure to rural medical practice. The program was implemented
in 1991 as one measure to affect practice patterns of physicians in Texas. 

PURPOSE

HB 1647 provides an opportunity for family practice residents to do an
optional one-month rotation through a public health setting. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 51.918(b)(2), Education Code, to add "a public
health setting" to the  required one-month rotation opportunity in a rural
setting, as mandated by  the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board for
family practice residency programs. 

SECTION 2.  Subsection (a) Establishes that this Act takes effect
September 1, 1997. 

Subsection (b) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to
require a family practice residency program, without causing undue
disruption in student curriculum on the date this Act takes effect, to
conform as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.  

SECTION 3.  Emergency Clause. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

CSHB 1647 changes the language in the preface of the bill to omit the
words "medical students" from the term "family practice resident medical
students" as was used in the original bill.