BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2123

By: Hughes

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Established by the legislature in 2001, the Joint Admission Medical Program is a workforce pipeline program that assists highly qualified undergraduate students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in earning admission to medical school. Participating students are identified in their sophomore year of college and are provided resources such as mentorships, internship experiences, and MCAT preparation courses. Program participants who meet certain requirements are guaranteed admission to a participating Texas medical school. Under current law, all existing public medical schools in Texas participate in the program, except for the recently established medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. S.B. 2123 seeks to expand the list of participating medical schools in the Joint Admission Medical Program to include the medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2123 amends the Education Code to include the medical school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler among the medical schools participating in the Joint Admission Medical Program. The bill requires that medical school to do the following:

· as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, enter into the requisite agreement with the Joint Admission Medical Program Council and select an appropriate faculty member to represent the medical school on the council; and

· provide internships and mentoring under the program as appropriate beginning not later than the 2025-2026 academic year.

The medical school is not required to admit participating students under the program before the 2026-2027 academic year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.