SRC-AAA S.B. 606 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 606
By: Lucio
Finance
2-27-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, there is no organized tax-based funding of indigent care in the
Rio Grande Valley. Population in four counties of the Lower Rio Grande
Valley is approaching 900,000. Local health departments and state
regional health offices have been asked to absorb indigent patient care,
or it is absorbed in the form of inflated costs associated with emergency
room drop-ins.  This bill provides for the creation of the Regional
Academic Health Center, which would provide much needed medical care and
fulfill the increased demand for primary care physicians.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 606 authorizes the University of Texas System to
establish the Regional Academic Health Center in the four-county of the
Lower Rio Grande Valley area. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 74, Education Code, by adding Sections 74.701
through 74.705, as follows: 

Sec. 74.701. ESTABLISHMENT AND LOCATION; NAME; SCOPE. Authorizes the board
of regents of the University of Texas System (board) to establish the
Regional Academic Health Center (center) and carry out agreements for the
center in the four-county Lower Rio Grande Valley area, to provide
clinical, postgraduate, or other levels of medical professional education.
Authorizes the board to assign responsibility for management of the center
to any University of Texas component health institution. 

Sec. 74.702.  PHYSICAL FACILITIES. Authorizes the board to make physical
facilities available for use by the center in its teaching and research
programs.  Sets forth sources of funds for the physical facilities. 

Sec. 74.703. GRANTS GIFTS.  Authorizes the board to accept grants and
gifts for the center. 

Sec. 74.704. TEACHING HOSPITAL. Requires a teaching hospital to be
furnished for the center at no cost to the state.  Prohibits the state
from contributing funds for construction, maintenance, or operation  of a
teaching hospital for the center.  

Sec. 74.705. SUPERVISION BY THE TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD.
Provides that the center is subject to the continuing supervision of the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, as provided in Chapter 61,
Education Code.