1-1     By:  Zaffirini                                        S.B. No. 1241

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1997; March 17, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 21, 1997,

 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 12, Nays 0; April 21, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1241               By:  Zaffirini

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to the creation of the Faculty Enhancement Fund for

1-10     Generalist Physicians.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 58.007, Education Code, is amended by

1-13     adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:

1-14           (h)  The committee shall review for the Texas Higher

1-15     Education Coordinating Board applications for approval and funding

1-16     of faculty enhancement for generalist physicians at Texas medical

1-17     schools as described in Section 58.009, make recommendations to the

1-18     board relating to the standards and criteria for approval of

1-19     faculty enhancement awards, monitor compliance with the contractual

1-20     conditions associated with faculty enhancement awards, and evaluate

1-21     the success of the faculty enhancement program in reaching the goal

1-22     of increasing the number of generalist physician faculty at Texas

1-23     medical schools.

1-24           SECTION 2.  Chapter 58, Education Code, is amended by adding

1-25     Section 58.009 to read as follows:

1-26           Sec. 58.009.  FACULTY ENHANCEMENT FUND FOR GENERALIST

1-27     PHYSICIANS.  (a)  Only accredited medical schools identified in

1-28     Section 61.501(1) shall be eligible to receive funds under this

1-29     section.

1-30           (b)  Only full-time, clinical faculty positions in family

1-31     practice, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics, whose

1-32     faculty rank is no greater than assistant professor, shall be

1-33     eligible for funds under this section.

1-34           (c)  The committee shall recommend to the Texas Higher

1-35     Education Coordinating Board an allocation of generalist faculty

1-36     positions that are to receive state support through the Faculty

1-37     Enhancement Fund for Generalist Physicians.  The committee shall

1-38     take into consideration in recommending an allocation the following

1-39     factors:

1-40                 (1)  the faculty-student ratio in the generalist

1-41     specialty at the applicant school;

1-42                 (2)  the length of time a budgeted generalist faculty

1-43     position has gone unfilled;

1-44                 (3)  whether the position is a new generalist faculty

1-45     position; and

1-46                 (4)  other factors as determined by the committee.

1-47           (d)  Once funds are awarded to support a generalist faculty

1-48     position at a particular medical school, the board shall continue

1-49     to award funds to support that generalist faculty position for a

1-50     period not to exceed one additional academic year.  After that

1-51     time, the medical school shall provide an amount equal to the

1-52     annualized faculty enhancement award in its operating budget to

1-53     maintain the level of compensation for the position after the grant

1-54     period has ended.

1-55           (e)  The board may spend not more than 10 percent of the

1-56     amounts appropriated for this program in fiscal year 1998, and not

1-57     more than five percent of the amounts appropriated for this program

1-58     in succeeding years, for administering the faculty enhancement

1-59     program for generalist physicians.

1-60           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-61     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-62     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-63     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-64     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.

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