BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3860

By: Guerra

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) supports international medical graduates to serve for a specified period in designated health professional shortage areas and medically underserved areas and after such time to request a federal waiver to the requirement that a physician return to the physician's home country for two years. One of the purposes of this support is to improve access to primary or specialty care in Texas. Interested parties note that DSHS recently revised its policies to preclude applications by physicians with employment offers from entities in medically underserved areas. H.B. 3860 seeks to address this issue.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

H.B. 3860 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Department of State Health Services, to the extent allowed by federal law, to provide an equal opportunity to request a waiver of the foreign country residence immigration visa requirement for a qualified alien physician who agrees to practice medicine in a medically underserved area or a health professional shortage area.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.