By Hawley, et al.                                     H.B. No. 2421
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to establishing a program to recruit rural medical
 1-3     students for service in rural communities.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Chapter 106, Health and Safety Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Subchapter H to read as follows:
 1-7             SUBCHAPTER H.  RURAL PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT PROGRAM
 1-8           Sec. 106.251.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "rural
 1-9     community" means:
1-10                 (1)  a county that has a population of 150,000 or less;
1-11     or
1-12                 (2)  with respect to a county that has a population of
1-13     more than 150,000 and that contains a geographic area that is not
1-14     delineated as urbanized by the federal census bureau, that part of
1-15     the county that is not delineated as urbanized.
1-16           Sec. 106.252.  GIFTS AND GRANTS. The center may accept gifts,
1-17     grants, and donations to support the rural physician recruitment
1-18     program.
1-19           Sec. 106.253.  RURAL PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT PROGRAM. (a)  The
1-20     center shall develop a program to recruit students interested in
1-21     studying medicine from rural communities and encourage them to
1-22     enroll in medical school and to return to rural communities to
1-23     practice medicine.
1-24           (b)  The center shall:
 2-1                 (1)  encourage high school and college students from
 2-2     rural communities to pursue a career in medicine;
 2-3                 (2)  develop a screening process to identify rural
 2-4     students most likely to pursue a career in medicine;
 2-5                 (3)  promote and sponsor rural electives in medical
 2-6     school curriculum;
 2-7                 (4)  establish a mentoring program for rural students;
 2-8                 (5)  provide rural students with information about
 2-9     financial aid resources available for postsecondary education; and
2-10                 (6)  establish a rural practice incentive program.
2-11           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.