| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a study and report regarding shortages in certain |
|
|
health professions. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 61.0669 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 61.0669. STUDY ON SHORTAGES IN CERTAIN HEALTH |
|
|
PROFESSIONS. (a) Subject to the availability of funds, the board |
|
|
shall conduct a study in collaboration with the Texas Health |
|
|
Professions Resource Center, the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce |
|
|
Studies, and the Texas Demographic Center to identify statewide and |
|
|
regional shortages in health professions, with an emphasis on |
|
|
shortages in doctoral-level training in those health professions. |
|
|
The board shall develop an inventory of existing health science |
|
|
education programs and shall note the enrollment capacity for each |
|
|
of those programs. The study must include an analysis of shortages |
|
|
in the following health professions for which doctoral-level |
|
|
training is offered: |
|
|
(1) medicine, including a doctor of medicine degree |
|
|
(M.D.) and a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree (D.O.); |
|
|
(2) nursing, including a doctor of philosophy degree |
|
|
and a doctor of nursing practice degree; |
|
|
(3) physical therapy, including a doctor of philosophy |
|
|
degree and a doctor of physical therapy degree; |
|
|
(4) occupational therapy, including a doctor of |
|
|
philosophy degree and a doctor of occupational therapy degree; |
|
|
(5) audiology, including a doctor of philosophy degree |
|
|
and a doctor of audiology degree; |
|
|
(6) psychology, including a doctor of philosophy |
|
|
degree and a doctor of psychology degree; |
|
|
(7) pharmacy, including a doctor of philosophy degree |
|
|
and a doctor of pharmacy degree; and |
|
|
(8) public health, including a doctor of philosophy |
|
|
degree and a doctor of public health degree. |
|
|
(b) The board shall make recommendations regarding the |
|
|
establishment of new programs and expansion of existing programs to |
|
|
meet the increased need for health professionals in the state, |
|
|
including in particular the increased need for health professionals |
|
|
with doctoral-level training. |
|
|
(c) Not later than November 1, 2018, the board shall submit |
|
|
to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house |
|
|
of representatives, and each legislative standing committee with |
|
|
primary jurisdiction over higher education the results of its study |
|
|
under this section and recommendations for legislative or other |
|
|
action. |
|
|
(d) The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
|
|
donations from any public or private source to conduct the study, |
|
|
prepare the report, and develop recommendations as required under |
|
|
this section. |
|
|
(e) This section expires January 1, 2019. |
|
|
SECTION 2. 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, 2017. |