83R7923 KEL-D
By: Rodriguez of Travis H.B. No. 3349
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to accelerated educational programs offered by public
institutions of higher education to qualified persons seeking
licensure as physician assistants.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0518 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0518. ACCELERATED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMS FOR
QUALIFIED PERSONS. (a) An institution of higher education that
offers an accredited educational program for physician assistants
may offer one or more accelerated programs or program tracks to
allow eligible persons with previous medical education, training,
or experience as described by Subsection (b) to:
(1) bypass elements of a regular physician assistant
educational program that duplicate the previous medical education,
training, or experience of those persons; and
(2) complete the remaining program elements in a
manner that facilitates the expeditious licensure of those persons
as physician assistants.
(b) To be eligible to enroll in an accelerated educational
program for physician assistants under this section, a person must
provide the institution of higher education with proof of the
following:
(1) a medical degree obtained from a foreign medical
school that is recognized by the appropriate governmental agency in
the country in which the school is located; or
(2) any work or training with a health-related
component, if the work was performed or the training was obtained
while the person served as a member of:
(A) the armed forces of the United States;
(B) the Texas National Guard or the national
guard of another state; or
(C) a reserve component of the armed forces of
the United States.
(c) The board by rule shall prescribe for accelerated
programs offered under this section additional categories of
eligibility based on relevant previous education, training, or
experience. An institution of higher education that offers one or
more accelerated programs to persons who establish eligibility
under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) may choose to offer accelerated
programs to persons who establish eligibility under other
categories prescribed by board rule.
(d) An institution of higher education must obtain all
appropriate accreditations and approvals before offering an
accelerated educational program under this section. Each
accelerated program must sufficiently prepare students to take and
pass the licensing examination described by Section 204.153(a)(2),
Occupations Code.
(e) This section does not affect the authority of a private
or independent institution of higher education to offer an
accelerated accredited educational program to train physician
assistants.
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall adopt rules as required by Section 61.0518, Education Code,
as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective
date of this Act.
SECTION 3. 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, 2013.