Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. Line and page numbers may not match official copy. By Hinojosa H.B. No. 1557 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of a Regional Academic Health Center. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Title 3, Chapter 74, Texas Education Code, 1-5 74.701-74.705 are added to read as follows: 1-6 SUBCHAPTER L. REGIONAL ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTER TO BE 1-7 ESTABLISHED AND LOCATED BY BOARD OF REGENTS 1-8 Sec. 74.701. Establishment and Location; Name; Scope. The 1-9 University of Texas System Board of Regents may establish a 1-10 Regional Academic Health Center, and execute and carry out 1-11 affiliation or coordinating agreements with any other entity or 1-12 institution in the four county Lower Rio Grande Valley area 1-13 (Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy) to provide clinical, 1-14 postgraduate, including internship and residency, or other levels 1-15 of medical professional education for The Regional Academic Health 1-16 Center. The Board of Regents may assign responsibility for 1-17 management of the Regional Academic Health Center to any of The 1-18 University of Texas component health institutions. 1-19 Sec. 74.702. Physical Facilities. The board shall make 1-20 provision for adequate physical facilities for use by The Regional 1-21 Academic Health Center, including library, auditorium, research 1-22 facilities and medical education buildings, for use by The Regional 1-23 Academic Health Center in its teaching and research programs. 1-24 Funds for construction of the facilities may include, but not be 2-1 limited to, general revenue appropriations and tuition revenue 2-2 bonds. 2-3 Sec. 74.703. Grants and Gifts. The board, in its 2-4 discretion, may accept and administer grants and gifts from any 2-5 governmental entity, foundation, trust fund, corporation, or 2-6 individual for the use and benefits of The Regional Academic Health 2-7 Center. 2-8 Sec. 74.704. Teaching Hospital. A teaching hospital or 2-9 hospitals for The Regional Academic Health Center shall be 2-10 furnished at no cost or expense to the state. The state may not 2-11 contribute any funds for the construction, maintenance, or 2-12 operation of a teaching hospital for The Regional Academic Health 2-13 Center. 2-14 Sec. 74.705. Supervision by The Texas Higher Education 2-15 Coordinating Board. The Regional Academic Health Center is subject 2-16 to the continuing supervision of and to the rules and regulations 2-17 of The Texas Education Coordinating Board, as provided by Chapter 2-18 61 of this code. 2-19 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-24 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-25 passage, and it is so enacted.