BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1378
	By: Buckingham
	Higher Education
	5/27/2019
	Enrolled

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

The 85th Texas Legislature passed S.B. 1066, relating to meeting the graduate medical education needs of new medical degree programs offered by public institutions of higher education. The law requires institutions that complete preliminary planning for a new doctor of medicine (M.D.) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) degree to submit a specific plan to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) regarding the addition of first-year residency positions for the graduate medical education program to be offered in connection with the new degree program. The submission of this plan is a prerequisite for THECB's approval of the proposed degree program.

 

Currently, the plans submitted contain an anticipated number that is based on the school's inaugural class size, which is significantly lower than the maximum class size institutions reach in the first few years of opening. As a result, the plan fails to provide an accurate estimation on how many first-year residency positions will be needed.

 

S.B. 1378 requires new medical schools to submit plans to THECB regarding anticipated first‑year residency positions needed based on the school's anticipated target class size.

 

By changing the statute to require the plan to be based on the school's targeted maximum individual class size, entities will be better informed and more able to create sufficient first-year residency positions to keep Texas students in Texas.

 

S.B. 1378 also requires the institution to submit an updated plan if the institution experiences a "substantial increase" in its actual maximum individual enrollment class size. The term "substantial increase" is to be clearly defined by THECB. (Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

 

S.B. 1378 amends current law relating to meeting the graduate medical education needs of medical degree programs offered or proposed by public institutions of higher education.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 (Section 61.05122, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 61.05122, Education Code, by amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (d-1), as follows:

 

(b) Requires an institution of higher education, as soon as practicable after the institution completes preliminary planning for a new doctor of medicine (M.D.) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) degree program, to promptly provide to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) a specific plan regarding the addition of first‑year residency positions for the graduate medical education program to be offered in connection with the degree program, rather than with the new degree program.

 

(b-1) Requires the institution's plan under Subsection (b), if in its preliminary planning the institution establishes a long-term targeted maximum individual enrollment class size that differs from its proposed initial maximum individual enrollment class size, to include a proposed increase in the number of first-year residency positions over time that will be sufficient to accommodate, in accordance with the requirements of that subsection, the institution's planned increase or increases in maximum individual enrollment class size.

 

(d) Provides that an institution's projected increase in first-year residency positions is presumed to be sufficient in its plan if, considering both the institution's proposed initial maximum individual enrollment class size and any projected growth in that class size, the increase will achieve the purposes of this section with respect to all graduates from degree programs described by this section that are offered or will be offered by the institution.

 

(d-1) Requires any institution that experiences substantial growth in an individual enrollment class size after the approval of its plan promptly to provide to THECB an updated plan that complies with Subsection (b) based on the institution's actual maximum individual enrollment class size and, if the institution anticipates continued substantial growth, based on the institution's targeted maximum individual enrollment class size. Requires THECB to adopt rules that clearly define what constitutes a substantial growth in class size for an institution subject to this section.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.