79R972 JRJ-D

By:  Shapleigh                                                    S.B. No. 68 



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the number of students in medical education 
in Texas.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Sections 61.0903, 61.0904, and 61.0905 to read as 
follows:
	Sec. 61.0903.  EXTENDED UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION 
PREPARATION PROGRAM.  The board shall examine the use of 
undergraduate programs that require more than four years of 
undergraduate course work to prepare students for graduate medical 
education to determine whether such a program would be feasible or 
effective in institutions of higher education in this state.  Not 
later than December 1, 2006, the board shall report to the 
legislature the board's determination whether extended 
undergraduate medical education preparation programs may be 
effective in the education and training of physicians or other 
health care professionals in this state.
	Sec. 61.0904.  RECRUITING AND RETAINING UNDERREPRESENTED 
STUDENTS.  (a)  The board, in coordination with institutions of 
higher education, shall develop a strategy to coordinate 
recruitment and retention of students from backgrounds or 
geographic areas that are underrepresented in institutions of 
higher education in this state.
	(b)  In coordinating efforts under this section, the board 
and institutions of higher education shall:
		(1)  identify best practices in recruitment and 
retention efforts; and
		(2)  create regional joint programs to eliminate 
duplicate or overlapping recruitment and retention programs.
	Sec. 61.0905.  MENTORING PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  In this 
section, "Texas-Mexico border region" has the meaning assigned by 
Section 2056.002, Government Code.
	(b)  The board shall collaborate with the Texas Education 
Agency to establish a pilot program to provide opportunities for 
secondary school students in the Texas-Mexico border region who are 
enrolled in health science technology and related courses to be 
mentored by health care professionals or students enrolled in 
undergraduate or graduate health science technology programs or 
related programs.  The pilot program should be designed to foster 
student awareness of the health professions and encourage students 
to pursue an education leading to a career in the health professions 
and to enter into practice in the Texas-Mexico border region.
	(c)  The board shall provide mentoring opportunities at 
three high schools in the pilot program's first year and add three 
additional secondary schools in the second year.  If the board 
determines that the pilot program is successful, the board, to the 
extent possible, shall expand the program throughout the 
Texas-Mexico border region.
	(d)  Mentoring opportunities under the pilot program may be 
provided by expanding existing mentoring programs.
	(e)  The entities participating in the pilot program shall 
track, to the extent possible, students who are mentored to assess 
the success of the mentoring efforts.
	(f)  The Texas Education Agency shall encourage school 
districts to participate in the pilot program.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 29.189 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.189.  SUMMER STUDY SCIENCE PROGRAMS FOR 
UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS.  The agency may establish a statewide 
network of summer study science instruction programs for students 
from groups or geographic areas that are underrepresented in the 
fields of science and medicine.
	SECTION 3.  (a)  In this section, "Texas-Mexico border 
region" has the meaning assigned by Section 2056.002, Government 
Code.
	(b)  Each school district in the Texas-Mexico border region 
shall assess the adequacy of existing health science technology and 
college preparatory courses and programs in the district's 
secondary schools and the need to establish additional health 
science technology and college preparatory courses and programs in 
those schools.  Each district shall submit the results of the 
assessment to the Texas Education Agency.  The Texas Education 
Agency shall compile the assessments conducted under this 
subsection and submit the compilation to the governor, the 
lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of 
representatives not later than September 1, 2006.
	(c)  This section expires January 1, 2007.                                     
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.