| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the establishment of a rural resident physician grant |
|
|
program. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
designating Section 61.511 as Subchapter I-1 and adding a heading |
|
|
to that subchapter to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER I-1. PHYSICIAN RESIDENCY GRANTS |
|
|
Sec. 61.511. RESIDENT PHYSICIAN EXPANSION GRANT PROGRAM. |
|
|
(a) The board shall administer the Resident Physician Expansion |
|
|
Grant Program as a competitive grant program to encourage the |
|
|
creation of new graduate medical education positions through |
|
|
community collaboration and innovative funding. The board shall |
|
|
award grants to physician residency programs at teaching hospitals |
|
|
and other appropriate health care entities according to the program |
|
|
criteria established under Subsections (b) and (i). |
|
|
(b) The board shall establish criteria for the grant program |
|
|
in consultation with the executive commissioner of the Health and |
|
|
Human Services Commission, with one or more physicians, teaching |
|
|
hospitals, medical schools, independent physician residency |
|
|
programs, and with other persons considered appropriate by the |
|
|
board. The program criteria must: |
|
|
(1) take into account the following factors: |
|
|
(A) the characteristics of existing residency |
|
|
positions that receive state funding; |
|
|
(B) current and projected physician workforce |
|
|
demographics; and |
|
|
(C) state population trends and projections; and |
|
|
(2) support the following goals: |
|
|
(A) creating new residency positions, with an |
|
|
emphasis on creating new first-year residency positions, without |
|
|
adversely affecting existing residency positions; |
|
|
(B) maximizing local or federal matching funds; |
|
|
(C) developing accredited physician residency |
|
|
programs at hospitals that have not previously offered residency |
|
|
programs; and |
|
|
(D) increasing residency positions with respect |
|
|
to: |
|
|
(i) medical specialties having shortages in |
|
|
this state; and |
|
|
(ii) medically underserved areas in this |
|
|
state. |
|
|
(c) The board may provide grants only to support a residency |
|
|
position that: |
|
|
(1) is created and accredited on or after January 1, |
|
|
2014; or |
|
|
(2) was created and accredited before January 1, 2013, |
|
|
but as of that date had not yet been filled. |
|
|
(d) A grant award may be used only to pay direct costs |
|
|
associated with the position, including the salary of the resident |
|
|
physician. |
|
|
(e) Each grant application must specify: |
|
|
(1) the number of residency positions expected to be |
|
|
created with the grant money; and |
|
|
(2) the grant amount requested for each year. |
|
|
(f) The board shall award grants for all residency positions |
|
|
awarded a grant under this section in the preceding year before |
|
|
awarding a grant for a residency position that did not receive a |
|
|
grant in the preceding year, provided that the applicable grant |
|
|
recipient from the preceding year complies with all conditions of |
|
|
the grant as described by Subsection (g). |
|
|
(g) The board shall monitor physician residency programs |
|
|
receiving grants as necessary to ensure compliance with the grant |
|
|
program and shall require the return of any unused grant money by, |
|
|
or shall decline to award additional grants to, a residency program |
|
|
that receives a grant but fails to: |
|
|
(1) create and fill, within a reasonable period, the |
|
|
number of residency positions proposed in the program's grant |
|
|
application; or |
|
|
(2) satisfy any other conditions of the grant imposed |
|
|
by the board. |
|
|
(h) The board shall use money forfeited under Subsection (g) |
|
|
to award grants to other eligible applicants. With respect to the |
|
|
physician residency program forfeiting the grant, the board may |
|
|
restore grant money or award additional grants, as applicable, to |
|
|
the program as soon as practicable after the program satisfies all |
|
|
conditions of the grant. |
|
|
(i) The board shall adopt rules for the administration of |
|
|
the grant program. The rules must include: |
|
|
(1) administrative provisions governing: |
|
|
(A) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
|
|
(B) grant application procedures; |
|
|
(C) guidelines relating to grant amounts; |
|
|
(D) guidelines relating to the number of grants |
|
|
to be awarded each year, subject to available funds; |
|
|
(E) procedures for evaluating grant |
|
|
applications; and |
|
|
(F) procedures for monitoring the use of grants; |
|
|
(2) methods for tracking the effectiveness of grants; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(3) any conditions relating to the receipt and use of a |
|
|
grant as considered appropriate by the board. |
|
|
(j) Not later than January 1 of each year, the board shall |
|
|
prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
|
|
speaker of the house of representatives, the standing committees of |
|
|
the senate and house of representatives with responsibility for |
|
|
oversight of health and human services issues, and the Legislative |
|
|
Budget Board a report that: |
|
|
(1) specifies each of the following with respect to |
|
|
the preceding program year: |
|
|
(A) the number of grants awarded under the |
|
|
program; |
|
|
(B) the amount of each grant awarded under the |
|
|
program; |
|
|
(C) the number of residency positions created |
|
|
with the support of grant money; |
|
|
(D) the medical specialty of the residency |
|
|
positions created; and |
|
|
(E) whether physicians who complete their |
|
|
training through residency positions created under the program |
|
|
choose to practice in this state and which medical specialties they |
|
|
choose for their practices; and |
|
|
(2) makes appropriate recommendations for legislative |
|
|
changes as necessary. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Subchapter I-1, Chapter 61, Education Code, as |
|
|
added by this Act, is amended by adding Section 61.512 to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
Sec. 61.512. RURAL RESIDENT PHYSICIAN GRANT PROGRAM. (a) |
|
|
The board shall administer the Rural Resident Physician Grant |
|
|
Program as a competitive grant program to encourage the creation of |
|
|
new graduate medical education positions in rural and |
|
|
nonmetropolitan areas. The board shall award grants to new or |
|
|
expanded physician residency programs at teaching hospitals and |
|
|
other appropriate health care entities according to the program |
|
|
criteria established under Subsections (b) and (i). |
|
|
(b) The board shall establish criteria for the grant program |
|
|
in consultation with the executive commissioner of the Health and |
|
|
Human Services Commission, with one or more physicians, teaching |
|
|
hospitals, medical schools, and independent physician residency |
|
|
programs, and with other persons considered appropriate by the |
|
|
board. The program criteria must take into account whether a rural |
|
|
or nonmetropolitan area has the resources sufficient to support a |
|
|
physician residency program in a manner that would satisfy |
|
|
applicable residency accreditation requirements. |
|
|
(c) The board may provide grants only to support a physician |
|
|
residency program that provides the level of medical care that is |
|
|
most needed in a rural or nonmetropolitan area. |
|
|
(d) Grant funds awarded under this section may be used only |
|
|
to pay direct costs associated with creating or maintaining a |
|
|
residency position, including the salary of the resident physician. |
|
|
(e) Each grant application must specify: |
|
|
(1) the number of residency positions expected to be |
|
|
created or maintained with the grant money; and |
|
|
(2) the grant amount requested for each year. |
|
|
(f) The board shall award grants for all residency positions |
|
|
awarded a grant under this section in the preceding year before |
|
|
awarding a grant for a residency position that did not receive a |
|
|
grant in the preceding year, provided that the applicable grant |
|
|
recipient from the preceding year complies with all conditions of |
|
|
the grant as described by Subsection (g). |
|
|
(g) The board shall monitor physician residency programs |
|
|
receiving grants as necessary to ensure compliance with the grant |
|
|
program and shall require the return of any unused grant money by, |
|
|
or shall decline to award additional grants to, a residency program |
|
|
that receives a grant but fails to: |
|
|
(1) create and fill, within a reasonable period, the |
|
|
number of residency positions proposed in the program's grant |
|
|
application; or |
|
|
(2) satisfy any other conditions of the grant imposed |
|
|
by the board. |
|
|
(h) The board shall use money forfeited under Subsection (g) |
|
|
to award grants to other eligible applicants. With respect to the |
|
|
physician residency program forfeiting the grant, the board may |
|
|
restore grant money or award additional grants, as applicable, to |
|
|
the program as soon as practicable after the program satisfies all |
|
|
conditions of the grant. |
|
|
(i) The board shall adopt rules for the administration of |
|
|
the grant program. The rules must include: |
|
|
(1) administrative provisions governing: |
|
|
(A) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
|
|
(B) grant application procedures; |
|
|
(C) guidelines relating to grant amounts; |
|
|
(D) guidelines relating to the number of grants |
|
|
to be awarded each year, subject to available funds; |
|
|
(E) procedures for evaluating grant |
|
|
applications; |
|
|
(F) procedures for monitoring the use of grants; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(G) reporting requirements for grant recipients; |
|
|
(2) methods for tracking the effectiveness of grants; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(3) any conditions relating to the receipt and use of a |
|
|
grant as considered appropriate by the board. |
|
|
SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
|
|
date of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|
|
shall adopt rules for the implementation and administration of the |
|
|
grant program established under Section 61.512, Education Code, as |
|
|
added by this Act. The board may adopt the initial rules in the |
|
|
manner provided by law for emergency rules. |
|
|
(b) Not later than October 1, 2015, the Texas Higher |
|
|
Education Coordinating Board shall establish the grant program |
|
|
required by Section 61.512, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
|
|
and shall begin to award grants under that program not later than |
|
|
January 1, 2016. |
|
|
SECTION 4. 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, 2015. |