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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to excellence funding for certain health-related |
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institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 62, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter H to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER H. EXCELLENCE FUND FOR HEALTH-RELATED INSTITUTIONS |
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Sec. 62.161. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to |
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sustain and expand levels of excellence in all aspects of the |
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missions of health-related institutions of higher education to |
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educate and train the health care workforce, to provide excellent |
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clinical care, and to develop new ways to treat diseases and address |
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the health issues facing Texas and the nation. |
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Sec. 62.162. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Eligible institution" means a health-related |
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institution that is eligible to receive distributions of money |
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under this subchapter. |
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(2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board. |
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(3) "Health-related institution" means: |
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(A) The Texas A&M University System Health |
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Science Center; |
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(B) The University of Texas Medical Branch at |
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Galveston; |
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(C) The University of Texas Southwestern Medical |
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Center at Dallas; |
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(D) The University of Texas Health Science Center |
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at San Antonio; |
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(E) The University of Texas Health Science Center |
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at Houston; |
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(F) The University of North Texas Health Science |
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Center at Fort Worth; and |
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(G) Texas Tech University Health Sciences |
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Center. |
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Sec. 62.163. EXCELLENCE FUND. (a) The excellence fund for |
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health-related institutions is an account in the general revenue |
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fund and consists of money appropriated or transferred to the |
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credit of the fund under this section or other law. |
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(b) The comptroller may solicit and accept gifts or grants |
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for the fund from any public or private source. |
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Sec. 62.164. CONTRIBUTION BY INSTITUTION. To be eligible |
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for distributions from the fund, a health-related institution must |
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make a one-time initial transfer to the fund from the institution's |
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non-formula appropriations. The amount to be transferred shall be |
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determined through legislative appropriation. |
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Sec. 62.165. DISTRIBUTIONS TO INSTITUTIONS. (a) In each |
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state fiscal year, each eligible institution is entitled to receive |
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a share of the money in the fund in proportion to the institution's |
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percentage of the total number of points awarded under Subsection |
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(b) for that fiscal year. |
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(b) For each state fiscal year, a total of 25 points is |
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awarded to eligible institutions for each of the following metrics, |
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with each institution receiving points, or fractional points |
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rounded to the nearest hundredth, in proportion to the |
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institution's share of the aggregate amount, for all eligible |
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institutions, of the applicable number of items or the applicable |
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amounts described in each of the following categories: |
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(1) Sponsored Research--the dollar amount of federal |
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and private research expenditures as reflected in the coordinating |
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board's annual research expenditures report; |
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(2) Faculty Quality--the number of awards to faculty, |
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such as Nobel Prizes and memberships in national academies, by |
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entities recognized for that purpose in the coordinating board's |
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accountability system; |
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(3) Doctoral Degrees--the number of doctoral degrees |
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awarded, as reflected in the coordinating board's accountability |
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system; |
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(4) Philanthropy--the dollar amount of cash gifts |
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received, as reported in the Council for Aid to Education's |
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voluntary support of education survey or in the institutions' |
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Internal Revenue Service Form 990, whichever is considered |
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appropriate for the institution by the coordinating board; |
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(5) Commercialization--the number of licensing |
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agreements executed, as reported in the coordinating board's |
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technology development and transfer report; and |
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(6) Patents--the number of patents awarded, as |
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reported in the coordinating board's technology development and |
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transfer report. |
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(c) For each state fiscal biennium, each metric prescribed |
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by Subsection (b) is determined using the average of the applicable |
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numbers or amounts for the three most recent years for which the |
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information is available, as determined on the January 1 preceding |
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the biennium, and the determined average governs distributions from |
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the fund for each year of that biennium. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |