1-1     By:  Bivins                                           S.C.R. No. 74

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed April 18, 1997; April 22, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 24, 1997,

 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;

 1-5     April 24, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-7           WHEREAS, Concern about the financing of health care in Texas

 1-8     is shifting emphasis from treatment of disease to prevention of

 1-9     disease; and

1-10           WHEREAS, The health-related components of The Texas A&M

1-11     University System already have a substantial investment in

1-12     community/public health program development and delivery; and

1-13           WHEREAS, The geographic distribution of these components

1-14     across the state provides regional focal points for program

1-15     development and delivery based on local needs assessments; and

1-16           WHEREAS, Extensive external partnerships further enhance the

1-17     potential for a comprehensive statewide effort by The Texas A&M

1-18     University System; and

1-19           WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System's land-grant

1-20     commitment to broad access and service in agriculture and

1-21     engineering have made significant contributions to the state and

1-22     nation; and

1-23           WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System now intends to apply

1-24     the land-grant university model to the enhancement of the health of

1-25     the people of Texas; and

1-26           WHEREAS, The Texas A&M University System already has in place

1-27     most of the components of an academic health science center; and

1-28           WHEREAS, Systemwide coordination of its health-related

1-29     programs will result in increased joint programming and sharing of

1-30     resources among the components to the benefit of the people of the

1-31     state; and

1-32           WHEREAS, The board of regents has indicated its desire to

1-33     consolidate its major health components into a systemwide

1-34     administrative unit; now, therefore, be it

1-35           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-36     hereby support the desire of the board of regents of The Texas A&M

1-37     University System to combine the Baylor College of Dentistry, the

1-38     Texas A&M University College of Medicine, the Texas A&M University

1-39     Institute of Biosciences and Biotechnology, and the Texas A&M

1-40     University School of Rural Public Health into a unified

1-41     administrative structure to be named The Texas A&M University

1-42     System Health Science Center, with headquarters in College Station,

1-43     which will maintain a close collaborative affiliation with the

1-44     Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the Prairie View A&M

1-45     University College of Nursing, the Tarleton State University

1-46     Division of Nursing, the Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi

1-47     College of Nursing, the Texas A&M International University College

1-48     of Nursing, the West Texas A&M University Division of Nursing, and

1-49     such other health-education-related programs as may be duly

1-50     authorized and approved in the future.

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