83R7923 KEL-D
 
  By: Rodriguez of Travis H.B. No. 3349
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to accelerated educational programs offered by public
  institutions of higher education to qualified persons seeking
  licensure as physician assistants.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.0518 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.0518.  ACCELERATED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMS FOR
  QUALIFIED PERSONS. (a) An institution of higher education that
  offers an accredited educational program for physician assistants
  may offer one or more accelerated programs or program tracks to
  allow eligible persons with previous medical education, training,
  or experience as described by Subsection (b) to:
               (1)  bypass elements of a regular physician assistant
  educational program that duplicate the previous medical education,
  training, or experience of those persons; and
               (2)  complete the remaining program elements in a
  manner that facilitates the expeditious licensure of those persons
  as physician assistants.
         (b)  To be eligible to enroll in an accelerated educational
  program for physician assistants under this section, a person must
  provide the institution of higher education with proof of the
  following:
               (1)  a medical degree obtained from a foreign medical
  school that is recognized by the appropriate governmental agency in
  the country in which the school is located; or
               (2)  any work or training with a health-related
  component, if the work was performed or the training was obtained
  while the person served as a member of:
                     (A)  the armed forces of the United States;
                     (B)  the Texas National Guard or the national
  guard of another state; or
                     (C)  a reserve component of the armed forces of
  the United States.
         (c)  The board by rule shall prescribe for accelerated
  programs offered under this section additional categories of
  eligibility based on relevant previous education, training, or
  experience. An institution of higher education that offers one or
  more accelerated programs to persons who establish eligibility
  under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) may choose to offer accelerated
  programs to persons who establish eligibility under other
  categories prescribed by board rule.
         (d)  An institution of higher education must obtain all
  appropriate accreditations and approvals before offering an
  accelerated educational program under this section. Each
  accelerated program must sufficiently prepare students to take and
  pass the licensing examination described by Section 204.153(a)(2),
  Occupations Code.
         (e)  This section does not affect the authority of a private
  or independent institution of higher education to offer an
  accelerated accredited educational program to train physician
  assistants.
         SECTION 2.  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  shall adopt rules as required by Section 61.0518, Education Code,
  as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective
  date of this Act.
         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, 2013.