HBA-CBW C.S.H.B. 42 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 42
By: McClendon
Higher Education
3/11/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Prairie View A&M University (university) does not offer a doctor
of medicine degree program. Statistics from the Texas Department of Health
report entitled,  "Texas Health Facts Data 1999," show a shortage of
physicians who serve populations in rural areas.  For example,  in rural
Waller County, where the university is located,  the direct care physician
to population ratio is 1:3,625.  In neighboring and predominantly urban
Harris County, the ratio is 1:549. Similar disparities are evident in other
areas of the state, indicating a need for increased production of doctor of
medicine degree graduates. C.S.H.B. 42 authorizes The Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, with the assistance of the board of regents
of The Texas A&M University System (board),  to conduct a feasibility study
regarding an affiliation or coordinating agreement between the board and
any institution of higher education to provide the clinical education
necessary to support a doctor of medicine degree program at the university. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 42 amends the Education Code to authorize The Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board), with the assistance of
the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System (board), to conduct
a feasibility study regarding an affiliation or coordinating agreement
between the board and any institution of higher education to provide the
clinical education necessary to support a doctor of medicine degree program
at Prairie View A&M University. The bill provides that the coordinating
board's authorization to conduct such a feasibility study expires September
1, 2003, and the feasibility study must be completed on or before December
31, 2002. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 42 modifies the original bill by authorizing The Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board to conduct the feasibility study with the
assistance of the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System
(board), rather than authorizing the board to conduct the feasibility
study. The substitute adds the provision that the feasibility study must be
completed on or before December 31, 2002.