By: Watson, Hinojosa S.B. No. 479

(In the Senate - Filed January 28, 2019; February 14, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; March 25, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 25, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 479 By: West

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the inclusion in the definition of a medical and dental unit of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the participation of those schools in certain programs and funding.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 51.821(4), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(4) "Participating medical school" means each of the following entities:

(A) the medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston;

(B) the medical school at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center;

(C) the medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio;

(D) the medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston;

(E) the medical school at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Lubbock;

(F) the medical school at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso;

(G) the Baylor College of Medicine;

(H) the college of osteopathic medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth; [and]

(I) the medical school at The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center;

(J) the medical school at The University of Texas at Austin; and

(K) the medical school at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

SECTION 2. Section 61.003(5), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(5) "Medical and dental unit" means The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center and its component institutions, agencies, and programs; the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center; the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso; The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio; The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston; The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston; The University of Texas Dental School at San Antonio; The University of Texas Medical School at Houston; the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin; the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley [The University of Texas Health Science Center--South Texas and its component institutions, if established under Subchapter N, Chapter 74]; the nursing institutions of The Texas A&M University System and The University of Texas System; and The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston; and such other medical or dental schools as may be established by statute or as provided in this chapter.

SECTION 3. Section 63.002(c), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(c) The amount available for distribution from the fund may be appropriated only for programs that benefit medical research, health education, or treatment programs at the following health-related institutions of higher education:

(1) The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio;

(2) The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center;

(3) The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center;

(4) The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston;

(5) The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston;

(6) The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler;

(7) The University of Texas Health Science Center--South Texas and its component institutions, if established under Subchapter N, Chapter 74;

(8) The Texas A&M University Health Science Center;

(9) the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth;

(10) the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center;

(11) the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso; [and]

(12) the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin;

(13) the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; and

(14) Baylor College of Medicine, if a contract between Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is in effect under Section 61.092.

SECTION 4. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, the medical schools at The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley each shall:

(1) enter into the agreement with the Joint Admission Medical Program Council required by Section 51.829, Education Code; and

(2) select an appropriate faculty member to represent the respective medical school on the council.

(b) The medical schools at The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley each shall provide internships and mentoring under the Joint Admission Medical Program as appropriate beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, but are not required before the 2022-2023 academic year to admit participating students to the medical schools under the program.

SECTION 5. The Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are eligible to receive funding under Subchapter A, Chapter 63, Education Code, beginning with allocations for the state fiscal year that begins September 1, 2019.

SECTION 6. 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, 2019.

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