1-1 By: Madla S.B. No. 516 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 2, 2001; February 5, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental 1-4 Relations; February 21, 2001, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; February 21, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to creating the rural physician relief program. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Chapter 106, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-11 by adding Subchapter H to read as follows: 1-12 SUBCHAPTER H. RURAL PHYSICIAN RELIEF PROGRAM 1-13 Sec. 106.251. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-14 (1) "Physician" means a person licensed to practice 1-15 medicine in this state under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code. 1-16 (2) "Relief services" means the temporary coverage of 1-17 a physician's practice by another physician for a predetermined 1-18 time during the physician's absence and before the physician's 1-19 return. 1-20 (3) "Rural" means: 1-21 (A) a community located in a county with a 1-22 population not greater than 50,000; or 1-23 (B) an area designated under state or federal 1-24 law as: 1-25 (i) a health professional shortage area; 1-26 or 1-27 (ii) a medically underserved area; or 1-28 (C) a medically underserved community designated 1-29 by the center. 1-30 Sec. 106.252. RURAL PHYSICIAN RELIEF PROGRAM. The center 1-31 shall create a program to provide affordable relief services to 1-32 rural physicians practicing in the fields of general family 1-33 medicine, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics to 1-34 facilitate the ability of those physicians to take time away from 1-35 their practice. 1-36 Sec. 106.253. FEES. (a) The center shall charge a fee for 1-37 rural physicians to participate in the program. 1-38 (b) The fees collected under this section shall be deposited 1-39 in a special account in the general revenue fund that may be 1-40 appropriated only to the center for administration of this 1-41 subchapter. 1-42 Sec. 106.254. FUNDING. The center may solicit and accept 1-43 gifts, grants, donations, and contributions to support the program. 1-44 Sec. 106.255. RELIEF PHYSICIAN'S EXPENSES. The center shall 1-45 pay a physician providing relief under the program using fees 1-46 collected by the center. 1-47 Sec. 106.256. PRIORITY ASSIGNMENT OF RELIEF PHYSICIANS. 1-48 (a) The center shall assign physicians to provide relief to a 1-49 rural area in accordance with the following priorities: 1-50 (1) solo practitioners; 1-51 (2) counties that have fewer than seven residents per 1-52 square mile; 1-53 (3) counties that have been designated under federal 1-54 law as a health professional shortage area; 1-55 (4) counties that do not have a hospital; and 1-56 (5) counties that have a hospital but do not have a 1-57 continuously staffed hospital emergency room. 1-58 (b) In determining where to assign relief physicians, the 1-59 center shall consider the number of physicians in the area 1-60 available to provide relief services and the distance in that area 1-61 to the nearest physician that practices in the same specialty. 1-62 (c) At the request of the center, residency program 1-63 directors may assist the center in coordinating the assignment of 1-64 relief physicians. 2-1 Sec. 106.257. RELIEF PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT. The center 2-2 shall actively recruit physicians to participate in the program as 2-3 relief physicians. The center shall concentrate on recruiting 2-4 physicians involved in an accredited residency program in general 2-5 pediatrics, general internal medicine, and general family medicine, 2-6 physicians registered on the center's locum tenens registry, 2-7 physicians employed at a medical school, and physicians working for 2-8 private locum tenens groups. 2-9 Sec. 106.258. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The rural physician 2-10 relief advisory committee is composed of the following members 2-11 appointed by the center's executive committee: 2-12 (1) a physician who practices in the area of general 2-13 family medicine in a rural county; 2-14 (2) a physician who practices in the area of general 2-15 internal medicine in a rural county; 2-16 (3) a physician who practices in the area of general 2-17 pediatrics in a rural county; 2-18 (4) a representative from an accredited Texas medical 2-19 school; 2-20 (5) a program director from an accredited primary care 2-21 residency program; 2-22 (6) a representative from the Texas Higher Education 2-23 Coordinating Board; and 2-24 (7) a representative from the Texas State Board of 2-25 Medical Examiners. 2-26 (b) The advisory committee shall assist the center in 2-27 administering the program. 2-28 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-29 * * * * *