BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1247
By: West, Royce
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) was created during the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001. There were some oversights in creating JAMP that were corrected by S.B. 1128 enacted by the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.
As proposed, S.B. 1247 changes the year students are selected into JAMP from the students' freshman year to the sophomore year. It makes changes to the allocation of certain remaining program openings and requires the Joint Admission Medical Program Council to allocate the openings to the general academic teaching institutions. S.B. 1247 also updates pre-admission mentoring and assistance requirements for potential JAMP applicants.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 51.824(b) and (c), Education Code, as follows:
(b) Requires the Joint Admission Medical Program Council (council) annually, from each general academic teaching institution, to select for admission to the program at least two eligible undergraduate students who are enrolled as sophomores, rather than freshmen, at that institution. Requires the council to allocate the remaining program openings to general academic teaching institutions as the council determines to be appropriate. Deletes existing text relating to average size of each entering freshman class during the four year period preceding the allocation.
(c) Makes a conforming and a nonsubstantive change.
SECTION 2. Amends Sections 51.826(a) and (c), Education Code, as follows:
(a) Requires an undergraduate student, to be eligible for admission to the program or selection as a program alternate, to meet certain requirements, including the completion of 27, rather than 15, semester credit hours in a specified time frame.
(c) Prohibits the council from admitting to the program or selecting as a program alternate an undergraduate student who has successfully completed fewer than 18, rather than nine, semester credit hours.
SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter V, Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding Section 51.8265, as follows:
Sec. 51.8265. PREADMISSION MENTORING AND ASSISTANCE. (a) Requires the council, in order to maximize a student's potential for success in the program, to identify students who may be eligible to participate in the program no later than the beginning of the first fall semester following the student's graduation from high school.
(b) Provides that an identified student who expresses an interest in participating in the program is entitled to the certain assistance during the student's freshman year.
(c) Provides that a student who has applied for admission into the program and who meets the eligibility criteria as provided by Section 51.826 is entitled to receive, during the fall semester of the student's sophomore year, the assistance described by Subsection (b) and a scholarship in an amount determined by the council.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 51.827(a), Education Code, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 5. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 6. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.