1-1     By:  Hawley, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Madla)          H.B. No. 2421
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001;
 1-3     May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     and Human Services; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to establishing a program to recruit rural medical
 1-9     students for service in rural communities.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1. Chapter 106, Health and Safety Code, is amended by
1-12     adding Subchapter H to read as follows:
1-13             SUBCHAPTER H.  RURAL PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT PROGRAM
1-14           Sec. 106.251.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "rural
1-15     community" means:
1-16                 (1)  a county that has a population of 150,000 or less;
1-17     or
1-18                 (2)  with respect to a county that has a population of
1-19     more than 150,000 and that contains a geographic area that is not
1-20     delineated as urbanized by the federal census bureau, that part of
1-21     the county that is not delineated as urbanized.
1-22           Sec. 106.252.  GIFTS AND GRANTS. The center may accept gifts,
1-23     grants, and donations to support the rural physician recruitment
1-24     program.
1-25           Sec. 106.253.  RURAL PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT PROGRAM. (a)  The
1-26     center shall develop a program to recruit students interested in
1-27     studying medicine from rural communities and encourage them to
1-28     enroll in medical school and to return to rural communities to
1-29     practice medicine.
1-30           (b)  The center shall:
1-31                 (1)  encourage high school and college students from
1-32     rural communities to pursue a career in medicine;
1-33                 (2)  develop a screening process to identify rural
1-34     students most likely to pursue a career in medicine;
1-35                 (3)  promote and sponsor rural electives in medical
1-36     school curriculum;
1-37                 (4)  establish a mentoring program for rural students;
1-38                 (5)  provide rural students with information about
1-39     financial aid resources available for postsecondary education; and
1-40                 (6)  establish a rural practice incentive program.
1-41           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-42                                  * * * * *