SRC-CTC S.B. 1303 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1303
77R4369 KEL-DBy: Shapleigh
Education
3/28/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center provides a
four-year medical school program that consists of several options, one of
which places students in Lubbock for two years, followed by two years in El
Paso.  Approximately 50 students graduate from the Lubbock/El Paso program
each year and pursue residency opportunities throughout the state.  As
proposed, S.B. 1303 expands the statutory authority of the Texas Tech
University Health Sciences Center program to allow all four years of the
medical program to be taught in El Paso and to attempt to address the
inadequate medical infrastructure in the El Paso/Juarez border region. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Tech University
Board of Regents in SECTION 1 (Section 110.061, Education Code) of this
bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 110, Education Code, by adding Section 110.061,
as follows: 

Sec. 110.061.  MEDICAL PROGRAM IN EL PASO COUNTY.  Authorizes the Texas
Tech University Board of Regents (board), on approval of the coordinating
board, to establish and maintain a doctor of medicine degree program at the
component of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Located in El
Paso County.   

(b) Requires the board to prescribe the full curriculum leading to a doctor
of medicine degree and is authorized to make rules for the operation,
control, and management of the medical program as may be necessary for its
conduct as a medical program of the first class. 

(c) Authorizes the board to accept and administer gifts and grants from any
public or private person or entity for the use and benefit of the medical
program. 

(d) Requires the board to provide adequate physical facilities for use by
the medical program in its teaching and research programs. 

(e) Authorizes a teaching hospital considered suitable by the board to be
provided by a public or private entity.  Prohibits the hospital from being
maintained with state funds. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.