BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 301

By: Zaffirini

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that authorizing foreign medical schools to participate in clinical rotations at Texas hospitals would undermine the efforts of Texas institutions to educate doctors. The parties note that adding students of foreign institutions to the current stream of students vying for a limited number of clinical rotation slots will only exacerbate the demand on the rotation slots. Reports indicate that a number of foreign, for-profit institutions charge hefty tuition fees and can afford to reimburse hospitals at a greater amount than state schools, which has raised additional concerns because hospitals typically contract with partners that offer the greatest reimbursement. The parties assert that the state medical schools may be outbid by the foreign schools, thus developing a shortage of clinical rotation slots for in-state students.

S.B. 301 seeks to address these concerns by amending the applicable laws relating to the authority of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue to certain foreign private postsecondary institutions certificates of authority to grant professional degrees or to represent that credits earned in Texas are applicable towards a degree.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 301 amends the Education Code to prohibit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board from issuing a certificate of authority for a private postsecondary institution to grant a professional degree, including a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.), Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Juris Doctor (J.D.), or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), or to represent that credits earned in Texas are applicable towards a degree if the institution is chartered in a foreign country or has its principal office or primary educational program in a foreign country.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.