SRC-HRD S.B. 1241 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1241
By: Zaffirini
Finance
4-13-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

The state's capacity for training more primary care doctors may 
be dependant on the availability of 
quality primary care faculty at medical schools in the state.  
There are concerns that compensation 
levels for primary care faculty positions in Texas medical 
schools are too low to compete 
successfully with financial opportunities offered by the private 
sector and other medical schools. 
With the intent of attracting quality faculty, S.B. 1241 would 
create the Faculty Enhancement Fund 
for Generalist Physicians through the Higher Education 
Coordinating Board to provide enhanced 
funding for primary care physician faculty positions at medical 
schools in the state.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1241 creates the Faculty Enhancement Fund for 
Generalist Physicians to provide 
faculty enhancement awards for generalist faculty positions at 
Texas medical schools. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. PURPOSE.  Provides that the state's capacity for 
training more medical students for 
primary care careers is dependent on the availability of an 
adequate number of primary care faculty. 
Provides that compensation levels for primary care faculty 
positions in Texas medical schools are 
too low to compete successfully with financial opportunities 
offered by the private sector and by 
other medical schools.  Provides that the average length of time 
required to fill a vacant generalist 
faculty position currently exceeds 12 months.  Provides that 
additional support for recruiting new 
generalist faculty would allow Texas medical schools to be 
competitive with the private sector and 
with the nation's other medical schools in recruiting family 
physicians, general internists, and general 
pediatricians for clinical faculty.

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 58, Education Code, by adding Section 
59.007(h), to require the 
Primary Care Residency Advisory Committee (committee) to review 
for the Texas Higher Education 
Coordinating Board (coordinating board) applications for approval 
and funding of faculty 
enhancement for generalist physicians at Texas medical schools as 
described in Section 58.009, 
make recommendations to the coordinating board relating to the 
standards and criteria for approval 
of faculty enhancement awards, monitor compliance with the 
contractual conditions associated with 
faculty enhancement awards, and evaluate the success of the 
faculty enhancement program in 
reaching the goal of increasing the number of generalist 
physician faculty at Texas medical schools.

SECTION 3. Amends Chapter 58, Education Code, by adding Section 
58.009, as follows:

Sec. 58.009.  FACULTY ENHANCEMENT FUND FOR GENERALIST 
PHYSICIANS. 
Requires only accredited medical schools as defined in 
Section 61.501(1) to be eligible to 
receive funds under this section.  Sets forth requirements 
for eligibility regarding positions. 
Requires the committee to recommend to the coordinating 
board an allocation of generalist 
faculty positions that are to receive state support through 
this fund.  Requires the committee 
to take certain factors into consideration in recommending 
an allocation.  Requires the board, 
once funds are awarded to support a generalist faculty 
position at a particular medical school,
 to continue to award funds to support that generalist 
faculty position for a period not to 
exceed one additional academic year.  Requires the medical 
school, after that time, to provide 
an amount equal to the annualized faculty enhancement award 
in its operating budget to 
maintain the level of compensation for the position after 
the grant period has ended. 
Prohibits the coordinating board from spending more than 10 
percent of the amounts 
appropriated for this program for administering the Faculty 
Enhancement Program for 
Generalist Physicians.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.