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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to accelerated educational programs offered by public |
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institutions of higher education to qualified persons seeking |
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licensure as physician assistants. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0518 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0518. ACCELERATED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMS FOR |
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QUALIFIED PERSONS. (a) An institution of higher education that |
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offers an accredited educational program for physician assistants |
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may offer one or more accelerated programs or program tracks to |
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allow eligible persons with previous medical education, training, |
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or experience as described by Subsection (b) to: |
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(1) bypass elements of a regular physician assistant |
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educational program that duplicate the previous medical education, |
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training, or experience of those persons; and |
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(2) complete the remaining program elements in a |
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manner that facilitates the expeditious licensure of those persons |
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as physician assistants. |
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(b) To be eligible to enroll in an accelerated educational |
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program for physician assistants under this section, a person must |
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provide the institution of higher education with proof of the |
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following: |
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(1) a medical degree obtained from a foreign medical |
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school that is recognized by the appropriate governmental agency in |
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the country in which the school is located; or |
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(2) any work or training with a health-related |
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component, if the work was performed or the training was obtained |
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while the person served as a member of: |
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(A) the armed forces of the United States; |
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(B) the Texas National Guard or the national |
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guard of another state; or |
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(C) a reserve component of the armed forces of |
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the United States. |
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(c) The board by rule shall prescribe for accelerated |
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programs offered under this section additional categories of |
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eligibility based on relevant previous education, training, or |
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experience. An institution of higher education that offers one or |
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more accelerated programs to persons who establish eligibility |
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under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) may choose to offer accelerated |
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programs to persons who establish eligibility under other |
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categories prescribed by board rule. |
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(d) An institution of higher education must obtain all |
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appropriate accreditations and approvals before offering an |
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accelerated educational program under this section. Each |
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accelerated program must sufficiently prepare students to take and |
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pass the licensing examination described by Section 204.153(a)(2), |
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Occupations Code. |
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(e) This section does not affect the authority of a private |
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or independent institution of higher education to offer an |
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accelerated accredited educational program to train physician |
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assistants. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules as required by Section 61.0518, Education Code, |
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as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |