By:  Bivins                                           S.C.R. No. 74

                            SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-1           WHEREAS, Concern about the financing of health care in Texas

 1-2     is shifting emphasis from treatment of disease to prevention of

 1-3     disease; and

 1-4           WHEREAS, The health-related components of The Texas A&M

 1-5     University System already have a substantial investment in

 1-6     community/public health program development and delivery; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, The geographic distribution of these components

 1-8     across the state provides regional focal points for program

 1-9     development and delivery based on local needs assessments; and

1-10           WHEREAS, Extensive external partnerships further enhance the

1-11     potential for a comprehensive statewide effort by The Texas A&M

1-12     University System; and

1-13           WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System's land-grant

1-14     commitment to broad access and service in agriculture and

1-15     engineering have made significant contributions to the state and

1-16     nation; and

1-17           WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System now intends to apply

1-18     the land-grant university model to the enhancement of the health of

1-19     the people of Texas; and

1-20           WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System already has in place

1-21     most of the components of an academic health science center; and

1-22           WHEREAS, Systemwide coordination of its health-related

1-23     programs will result in increased joint programming and sharing of

 2-1     resources among the components to the benefit of the people of the

 2-2     state; and

 2-3           WHEREAS, The board of regents has indicated its desire to

 2-4     consolidate its major health components into a systemwide

 2-5     administrative unit; now, therefore, be it

 2-6           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

 2-7     hereby support the desire of the board of regents of The Texas A&M

 2-8     University System to combine the Baylor College of Dentistry, the

 2-9     Texas A&M University College of Medicine, the Texas A&M University

2-10     Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology, and the Texas A&M

2-11     University School of Rural Public Health into a unified

2-12     administrative structure to be named The Texas A&M University

2-13     System Health Science Center, with headquarters in College Station,

2-14     which will maintain a close collaborative affiliation with the

2-15     Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the Prairie View A&M

2-16     University College of Nursing, the Tarleton State University

2-17     Division of Nursing, the Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi

2-18     College of Nursing, the Texas A&M International University College

2-19     of Nursing, the West Texas A&M University Division of Nursing, and

2-20     such other health-education-related programs as may be duly

2-21     authorized and approved in the future.