HBA-KDB, H.B. 910 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 910
By: Gutierrez
Higher Education
2/12/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In 1995, The Texas Legislature established The Texas A&M University System
Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health (school) as a part of a
rural health initiative to better address rural health needs in the state.
Currently, the South Texas Center for Rural Public Health, located in
McAllen, is a branch of the school.  As a branch of the school, the South
Texas Center focuses on programs that assist citizens in the Rio Grande
Valley who have historically encountered barriers to health providers and
programs because of geographic isolation, economic constraints, or
transportation problems.    House Bill 910 formally establishes The Texas
A&M University System Health Science Center South Texas Center for Rural
Public Health to deliver health education outreach programs, deliver and
provide communitybased instructional sites for the education of public
health professionals, and address the need to overcome the limited access
of rural residents to public health professionals.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 910 amends the Education Code to require the board of regents of
The Texas A&M University System (board) to establish The Texas A&M
University System Health Science Center South Texas Center for Rural Public
Health (center).  The bill requires the center to develop and provide
communitybased instructional sites for the education of public health
professionals and the delivery of health education outreach programs.  The
bill sets forth provisions for the participation of other institutions in
the center's programs, the location of the center's educational facilities,
and  affiliation or coordination agreements regarding the establishment and
operation of the center. 

H.B. 910  requires the board to assign responsibility for the management of
the center to The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, and
provides for the payment of the operating costs of the center. 

The center may be used to provide public health graduate education or other
levels of health education in the area served by the center in connection
with any component institutions of The Texas A&M University System
(system).  The bill authorizes the center, in providing education, to use
community outreach programs to provide persons receiving education at the
center with any necessary experience, and to conduct certain research
programs.  

H.B. 910 sets forth that the board is required to implement the center only
if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose.  If
such money is appropriated, the system is required to establish and operate
the center not later than January 1 of the first state fiscal year for
which the appropriation is made. The bill also requires the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board to prepare not later than August 31, 2002 an
impact statement examining the initial implementation of this Act and
deliver it to the board of regents of the system and both houses of the
legislature. 
 






EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.