HBA-AMW S.B. 940 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 940 By: Bivins Higher Education 4/23/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, economically disadvantaged students are underrepresented in Texas medical schools. Senate Bill 940 establishes the Joint Admission Medical Program to assist certain economically disadvantaged students in preparing for and succeeding in medical school. 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 Senate Bill 940 amends the Education Code to establish the Joint Admission Medical Program (program) to provide services to support and encourage highly qualified, economically disadvantaged students pursuing a medical education, award undergraduate and graduate scholarships and summer stipends to those students, and guarantee the admission of those students to at least one participating medical school (Sec. 51.822). The bill requires the participating medical schools to jointly establish the Joint Admission Medical Program Council (council) to administer the program. The bill sets forth provisions regarding council composition requirements, council duties, and delegation of the council's administrative functions (Secs. 51.823 51.825). The bill establishes eligibility requirements for the admission of undergraduate students to the program and for the continued participation of those students in the program (Secs. 51.826 and 51.827). The bill requires the council to select students for admission to the program and to match those students with internship programs, mentoring programs, and participating medical schools (Sec. 51.824). The bill sets forth provisions regarding council agreements with students admitted to the program, participating medical schools, general academic teaching institutions, and private or independent institutions of higher education (Secs. 51.828 - 51.831). The bill also sets forth provisions regarding the admission of nontraditional students into the program (Sec. 51.832). S.B. 940 requires the council to deliver a report on the program to the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year and sets forth provisions regarding the contents of the report (Sec. 51.834). The bill authorizes the council to solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or private source for the program, and authorizes the legislature to appropriate money for the program (Sec. 51.833). The bill specifies that the council is required to implement the provisions of the bill only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the money is not appropriated by the legislature, the bill authorizes the council to implement the provisions of the bill using other available appropriations. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.