| 1 | 1 | | 81R2640 KEL-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Nelson S.B. No. 290 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the creation and implementation of the health |
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| 8 | 8 | | professional education grant program. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subchapter HH to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER HH. HEALTH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 61.9801. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "eligible |
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| 14 | 14 | | health professional education program" means: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) an accredited physician residency training |
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| 16 | 16 | | program; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) an accredited professional nursing program that |
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| 18 | 18 | | prepares students for initial licensure as registered nurses; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) an accredited vocational nursing program that |
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| 20 | 20 | | prepares students for licensure as licensed vocational nurses; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) an accredited advanced nurse practitioner program |
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| 22 | 22 | | leading to registration with the Board of Nurse Examiners as an |
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| 23 | 23 | | advanced nurse practitioner; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (5) an undergraduate or graduate physician assistant |
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| 25 | 25 | | program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on |
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| 26 | 26 | | Education for the Physician Assistant or its successor; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | (6) an accredited undergraduate or graduate allied |
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| 28 | 28 | | health program that prepares students to practice as allied health |
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| 29 | 29 | | professionals, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Section 295p. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 61.9802. HEALTH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION GRANTS; |
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| 31 | 31 | | PURPOSE. (a) The board may award health professional education |
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| 32 | 32 | | grants to eligible health professional education programs at |
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| 33 | 33 | | institutions of higher education to: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) assist the programs in: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) providing new distance learning or |
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| 36 | 36 | | community-based education projects or activities; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (B) expanding or enhancing existing distance |
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| 38 | 38 | | learning or community-based education projects or activities; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) fund other related activities. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (b) The board may not award a grant under this section to |
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| 41 | 41 | | replace current funding for an existing distance learning or |
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| 42 | 42 | | community-based education project or activity. |
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| 43 | 43 | | Sec. 61.9803. USE OF GRANT. A grant awarded under this |
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| 44 | 44 | | subchapter may be used only for a purpose described by Section |
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| 45 | 45 | | 61.9802. |
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| 46 | 46 | | Sec. 61.9804. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The board may appoint an |
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| 47 | 47 | | advisory committee to advise the board on successful strategies for |
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| 48 | 48 | | assisting eligible health professional education programs in |
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| 49 | 49 | | providing, expanding, or enhancing distance learning or |
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| 50 | 50 | | community-based education projects or activities. |
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| 51 | 51 | | Sec. 61.9805. ANNUAL REPORTS. (a) At the end of each |
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| 52 | 52 | | academic year for which an eligible health professional education |
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| 53 | 53 | | program is awarded a grant under this subchapter and in the form the |
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| 54 | 54 | | board requires, the program shall provide to the board a written |
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| 55 | 55 | | report regarding the use of the grant. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (b) Not later than October 31 of each year, the board shall |
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| 57 | 57 | | provide to the governor and the legislature a written report |
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| 58 | 58 | | consolidated from the reports submitted to the board under |
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| 59 | 59 | | Subsection (a). |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 2. Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, the |
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| 61 | 61 | | Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall award grants under |
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| 62 | 62 | | the health professional education grant program created under |
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| 63 | 63 | | Subchapter HH, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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