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


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 42
By: McClendon
Higher Education
2/19/2001
Introduced

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. House Bill 42 authorizes the board of
regents of The Texas A&M University System to conduct a feasibility study
regarding forming an affiliation or an agreement with another 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

House Bill 42 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of regents
of The Texas A&M University System (board) to conduct a feasibility study
regarding entering into an affiliation or coordinating  agreement with 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 board's authorization to conduct
such a feasibility study expires September 1, 2003. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

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