| 1 | 1 | | 85R4803 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Alonzo H.B. No. 1176 |
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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 an optometry career program at the University of |
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| 8 | 8 | | Houston. |
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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. Subchapter C, Chapter 111, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 111.43 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 111.43. OPTOMETRY CAREER PROGRAM. (a) The university |
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| 13 | 13 | | may operate a summer program that prepares highly qualified, |
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| 14 | 14 | | economically disadvantaged junior-level, senior-level, and |
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| 15 | 15 | | postbaccalaureate students from any public or private institution |
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| 16 | 16 | | of higher education for advanced studies and a career in the field |
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| 17 | 17 | | of optometry. The program may include: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) courses in improvement of study skills and |
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| 19 | 19 | | Optometry Admission Test preparation courses; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) a review of selected undergraduate academic |
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| 21 | 21 | | courses that are prerequisites for admission to advanced degree |
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| 22 | 22 | | programs in optometry; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) academic courses that are designed to familiarize |
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| 24 | 24 | | students with the course work in advanced degree programs in |
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| 25 | 25 | | optometry; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (4) clinical work; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (5) extracurricular activities, including observing |
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| 28 | 28 | | professionals in the field of optometry. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) To the extent practicable, and consistent with the |
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| 30 | 30 | | purposes of the program, the university shall operate the program |
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| 31 | 31 | | in a manner that assists students in obtaining course credit for the |
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| 32 | 32 | | program from their respective institutions of higher education. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) The university shall: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) recruit eligible undergraduate or |
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| 35 | 35 | | postbaccalaureate students for admission to the program; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) establish an application process for admitting |
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| 37 | 37 | | eligible undergraduate or postbaccalaureate students to the |
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| 38 | 38 | | program; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) develop reasonable requirements for admission to |
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| 40 | 40 | | the program; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) monitor the implementation of the program; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (5) assist in developing services, including career |
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| 43 | 43 | | counseling, to support and encourage the pursuit of advanced |
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| 44 | 44 | | studies and careers in the field of optometry. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (d) The university may solicit and accept gifts and grants |
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| 46 | 46 | | from any public or private source, including a corporation or other |
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| 47 | 47 | | entity, to fund a program operated as provided by this section. The |
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| 48 | 48 | | legislature may appropriate money for the purposes of this section. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 50 | 50 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 51 | 51 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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