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.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
 1-9                 (1)  "Rural community" means a rural area as defined by
1-10     the center.
1-11                 (2)  "Medical school" has the meaning assigned by
1-12     Section 61.501, Education Code.
1-13           Sec. 106.252.  GIFTS AND GRANTS. The center may accept gifts,
1-14     grants, and donations to support the rural physician recruitment
1-15     program.
1-16           Sec. 106.253.  RURAL PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT PROGRAM. (a)  The
1-17     center shall establish a process in consultation with the Texas
1-18     Higher Education Coordinating Board for selecting a Texas medical
1-19     school to recruit students from rural communities and encourage
1-20     them to return to rural communities to practice medicine.
1-21           (b)  The Texas medical school selected by the center shall:
1-22                 (1)  encourage high school and college students from
1-23     rural communities to pursue a career in medicine;
1-24                 (2)  develop a screening process to identify rural
 2-1     students most likely to pursue a career in medicine;
 2-2                 (3)  establish a rural medicine curriculum;
 2-3                 (4)  establish a mentoring program for rural students;
 2-4                 (5)  provide rural students with information about
 2-5     financial aid resources available for postsecondary education; and
 2-6                 (6)  establish a rural practice incentive program.
 2-7           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2421 was passed by the House on May
         5, 2001, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2421 on May 25, 2001, by a non-record
         vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2421 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 17, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  __________________________
                              Date
                    __________________________
                            Governor