HBA-SEP S.B. 514 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 514 By: Truan Public Health 5/14/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the executive committee of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives (committee) is required to increase the number of physicians providing primary care in medically underserved communities through the medically underserved community-state matching incentive program (program). However, Texas is experiencing a shortage of many health care professionals, including pharmacists, advanced practice nurses, and registered nurses. Extending the program to include other health care professionals and federally qualified health centers may ameliorate this shortage. Senate Bill 514 provides this extension. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the executive committee of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives in SECTION 4 (Section 106.104, Health and Safety Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 514 amends the Health and Safety Code to add health care professionals (professionals) and federally qualified health centers (center) to those whose numbers the executive committee of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives (committee) is required to increase through the medically underserved community-state matching incentive program. The bill specifies that the committee is prohibited from paying to a community in a fiscal year, unless the committee makes a finding of need, more than $25,000 for eligible physicians, $25,000 for eligible professionals, and $50,000 for a center (Sec. 106.102). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.