1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to student loan reimbursements for physician assistants

 1-3     practicing in certain areas.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 24(a), Physician Assistant Licensing Act

 1-6     (Article 4495b-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as amended by

 1-7     Section 1, Chapter 365, and Section 1, Chapter 783, Acts of the

 1-8     74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, is amended to read as

 1-9     follows:

1-10           (a)  The board [council] shall designate annually a portion

1-11     of the revenue generated under this Act from physician assistant

1-12     licensing fees to be set aside to provide student loan

1-13     reimbursement for graduates of physician assistant training

1-14     programs from any [in this] state who practice in rural health

1-15     professional shortage areas and  [or rural] medically underserved

1-16     areas identified by the Texas Department of Health.

1-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2099 was passed by the House on May

         7, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 2099 was passed by the Senate on May

         26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor