By:  Janek                                                        S.B. No. 1749


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creating a health workforce planning partnership.                 
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subtitle E, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is 
amended by adding Chapter 113 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 113.  TEXAS HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING PARTNERSHIP
	Sec. 113.001.  POLICY; PURPOSE.  (a)  The policy of this 
state and the purpose of this chapter are to:
		(1)  ensure that the future health workforce needs are 
adequate in number to serve the citizens; and
		(2)  improve access to an appropriate and effective 
health workforce.
	(b)  To achieve this purpose it is essential that:                      
		(1)  appropriate health workforce planning activities 
are undertaken and implemented; and
		(2)  funding opportunities whether federal, state, 
private, public or a combination thereof are researched, 
identified, sought, obtained, and maximized.
	Sec. 113.002.  DEFINITION.  In this chapter, "partnership" 
means the Texas Health Workforce Planning Partnership.
	Sec. 113.003.  COMPOSITION OF PARTNERSHIP.  (a)  The 
partnership is within the Department of State Health Services and 
shall report to the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.
	(b)  The partnership is composed of the administrative head 
of the following agencies or that person's designee:
		(1)  the Health and Human Services Commission;                         
		(2)  the Department of State Health Services 
Commission;             
		(3)  the Higher Education Coordinating Board;                          
		(4)  the Texas Workforce Commission;                                   
		(5)  the Health Professions Council;                                   
		(6)  the Office of Rural Community Health Affairs; and                 
		(7)  any other state agency identified by the governor 
that impacts health workforce planning.
	Sec. 113.004.  COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.  Service on the 
partnership is an additional duty of a member's office or 
employment.  A member of the partnership is not entitled to 
compensation but is entitled to reimbursement of travel expenses 
incurred by the member while conducting the business of the 
partnership, as provided in the General Appropriations Act.
	Sec. 113.005.  SUPPORT STAFF.  The partnership's member 
agencies shall provide the staff for the partnership.
	Sec. 113.006.  MEETINGS.  (a)  The partnership shall meet at 
least once each year.  The partnership may meet at other times at 
the call of the presiding officer or as provided by the rules of the 
partnership.
	(b)   The partnership is a governmental body for the purposes 
of the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.