BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 136
79R1922 KEL-D By: Nelson
S/C on Higher Education
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Texas, like most states, continues to face a large shortage of trained pharmacists. The shortage has been characterized as severe by the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. The Texas Workforce Commission has estimated that 870 pharmacy positions will be unfilled statewide by 2010. The North Texas region, where the nearest pharmacy schools are located at least 200 miles away, is expected to have 250 of those 870 open pharmacy positions.
As proposed, S.B. 136 amends the Education Code to allow the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth to maintain and operate a school of pharmacy. S.B. 136 also requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to prepare an impact statement regarding implementation of this Act.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter H, Chapter 105, Education Code, by adding Section 105.405, as follows:
Sec. 105.405. SCHOOL OF PHARMACY. (a) Authorizes the board of regents of the University of North Texas (board) to establish and maintain a school of pharmacy as a professional school of the health science center.
(b) Authorizes the board to prescribe courses leading to customary degrees offered at other leading American schools of pharmacy and to award those degrees.
SECTION 2. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, no later than August 31, 2006, to prepare an impact statement examining the initial implementation of this Act and to deliver a copy of the statement to the board of regents of the University of North Texas System and to the chair of each legislative standing committee or subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over higher education.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2005.