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. 2-3 * * * * *