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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board concerning a shortage of primary care physicians in this |
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state. |
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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 61.088 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.088. STUDY REGARDING PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN |
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SHORTAGE. (a) The board shall conduct a study regarding methods to |
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mitigate or prevent a shortage in the number of primary care |
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physicians practicing in this state. The study: |
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(1) must include an analysis of whether requiring or |
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incentivizing graduate medical education programs to increase the |
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number of first-year residency positions leading to a medical |
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specialty in family practice or primary care to 50 percent of |
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first-year residency positions offered by the program will |
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positively impact the number of physicians who practice primary |
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care in this state; and |
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(2) may include an analysis of the feasibility of |
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providing additional funding for medical residencies for rural and |
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community-based hospital family practice and primary care |
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positions, including by providing funding for the repayment of |
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student loans for physicians under Subchapter J. |
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(b) Not later than December 1, 2020, the board shall submit |
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to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the |
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house of representatives a report on the results of the study and |
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any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
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(c) This section expires September 1, 2021. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2019. |