82R2976 JRJ-D
 
  By: Zerwas H.B. No. 2546
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the Texas emergency and trauma care education
  partnership program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter GG to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER GG.  TEXAS EMERGENCY AND TRAUMA CARE EDUCATION
  PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
         Sec. 61.9801.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Emergency and trauma care education partnership"
  means a partnership that:
                     (A)  consists of one or more hospitals in this
  state that are not owned, maintained, or operated by the federal or
  state government or an agency of the federal or state government and
  one or more nursing or medical education programs in this state; and
                     (B)  serves to increase enrollment and graduation
  rates for doctors and registered nurses training in emergency and
  trauma care at participating medical and nursing education
  programs.
               (2)  "Participating education program" means an
  undergraduate professional nursing program or graduate
  professional nursing program as those terms are defined by Section
  54.221 or a professional program leading to a degree required for
  licensure as a doctor of medicine or osteopathy that participates
  in an emergency and trauma care education partnership.
         Sec. 61.9802.  PROGRAM: ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION;
  PURPOSE.  (a) The Texas emergency and trauma care education
  partnership program is established.
         (b)  The board shall administer the program in accordance
  with this subchapter and rules adopted under this subchapter.
         (c)  Under the program, to the extent funds are available
  under Section 61.9805, the board shall make grants to emergency and
  trauma care education partnerships to assist those partnerships to
  meet the state's needs for doctors and registered nurses with
  training in emergency and trauma care by offering two-year
  residency fellowships to students enrolled in nursing or medical
  education programs with a focus in the area of family medicine
  through collaboration between hospitals and nursing or medical
  education programs and the use of the existing expertise and
  facilities of those hospitals and programs.
         Sec. 61.9803.  GRANTS: CONDITIONS; LIMITATIONS.  (a)  The
  board may make a grant under this subchapter to an emergency and
  trauma care education partnership only if the board determines
  that:
               (1)  the partnership will meet applicable standards for
  instruction and student competency for each degree granted by each
  participating education program;
               (2)  each participating education program will, as a
  result of the partnership, enroll in the education program a
  sufficient number of additional students as established by the
  board;
               (3)  the marginal cost to the state of producing a
  graduate of a participating education program will be comparable,
  as determined under criteria established by board rule, to the
  marginal cost to the state of producing a comparable graduate of a
  nursing or medical education program not participating in a
  partnership;
               (4)  each hospital participating in an emergency and
  trauma care education partnership will provide to students enrolled
  in a participating education program clinical placements that:
                     (A)  allow the students to take part in providing
  or to observe, as appropriate, emergency and trauma care services
  offered by the hospital; and
                     (B)  meet the clinical education needs of the
  students; and
               (5)  the partnership will satisfy any other requirement
  established by board rule.
         (b)  In establishing the cost-comparison criteria under
  Subsection (a)(3), the board shall exclude reasonable development
  and initial implementation costs for the infrastructure necessary
  to support an emergency and trauma care education partnership.
         (c)  A grant under this subchapter  may be spent only on
  costs related to the development or operation of an emergency and
  trauma care education partnership that prepares a student to earn
  an associate or bachelor of science degree in nursing and to achieve
  initial licensure as a registered nurse or a professional degree
  leading to licensure as a doctor of medicine or osteopathy.
         (d)  An emergency and trauma care education partnership
  shall return to the board money granted to the partnership under
  this subchapter that the partnership does not spend on eligible
  costs under Subsection (c). As the board determines appropriate to
  best achieve the purposes of these programs, the board may:
               (1)  use the money to make grants to other emergency and
  trauma care education partnerships;
               (2)  use the money to make grants under the
  professional nursing shortage reduction program established under
  Subchapter Z; or
               (3)  transfer the money to the permanent fund for
  higher education nursing, allied health, and other health-related
  programs established under Subchapter C, Chapter 63, for use in
  making grants under that subchapter.
         Sec. 61.9804.  PRIORITY FOR FUNDING.  In awarding a grant
  under this subchapter, the board shall give priority to an
  emergency and trauma care education partnership that submits a
  proposal that:
               (1)  provides for collaborative educational models
  between one or more participating hospitals and one or more
  participating education programs that have signed a memorandum of
  understanding or other written agreement under which the
  participants agree to comply with standards established by the
  board, including any standards the board may establish that:
                     (A)  provide for program management that offers a
  centralized decision-making process allowing for inclusion of each
  entity participating in the partnership;
                     (B)  provide for access to clinical training
  positions for students in nursing and medical education programs
  that are not participating in the partnership; and
                     (C)  specify the details of any requirement
  relating to a student in a participating education program being
  employed after graduation in a hospital participating in the
  partnership, including any details relating to the employment of
  students who do not complete the program, are not offered a position
  at the hospital, or choose to pursue other employment;
               (2)  includes a demonstrable education model to:
                     (A)  increase the number of students enrolled in,
  the number of students graduating from, and the number of faculty
  employed by each participating education program; and
                     (B)  improve student retention in each
  participating education program;
               (3)  indicates the availability of money to match all
  or a portion of the grant money, including matching money from a
  hospital, private or nonprofit entity, or institution of higher
  education;
               (4)  can be replicated by other emergency and trauma
  care education partnerships or other nursing or medical education
  programs; and
               (5)  includes plans for sustainability of the
  partnership.
         Sec. 61.9805.  GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to
  money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit,
  accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any public or
  private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
         Sec. 61.9806.  RULES.  The board shall adopt rules for the
  administration of the Texas emergency and trauma care education
  partnership program. The rules must include:
               (1)  provisions relating to applying for a grant under
  this subchapter; and
               (2)  standards of accountability to be met by any
  emergency and trauma care education partnership awarded a grant
  under this subchapter.
         Sec. 61.9807.  REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.  (a)  Each emergency
  and trauma care education partnership that receives a grant under
  this subchapter shall submit to the board narrative and financial
  reports that include information concerning the extent to which
  during the reporting period the partnership has complied with
  accountability standards established by the board.
         (b)  Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year,
  the board shall submit a report to the governor, lieutenant
  governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. The report
  shall include a list and description of partnerships created under
  this subchapter and the number of new nursing and medical student
  enrollees.
         Sec. 61.9808.  ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.  A reasonable amount,
  not to exceed three percent, of any money appropriated for purposes
  of this subchapter may be used to pay the costs of administering
  this subchapter.
         SECTION 2.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
  adopt rules for the implementation and administration of the Texas
  emergency and trauma care education partnership program
  established under Subchapter GG, Chapter 61, Education Code, as
  added by this Act. The board may adopt the initial rules in the
  manner provided by law for emergency rules.
         SECTION 3.  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, 2011.