Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1455 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R7657 SRS-D
2	2	By: Campbell, Hinojosa, Perry S.B. No. 1455
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a rural resident physician grant
8	8	program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 58A, Education Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER E. RURAL RESIDENT PHYSICIAN GRANT PROGRAM
13	13	Sec. 58A.081. RURAL RESIDENT PHYSICIAN GRANT PROGRAM. (a)
14	14	The board shall administer the Rural Resident Physician Grant
15	15	Program as a competitive grant program to encourage the creation of
16	16	new graduate medical education positions in rural and
17	17	nonmetropolitan areas, with particular emphasis on the creation of
18	18	rural training tracks. The board shall award grants to new or
19	19	expanded physician residency programs at teaching hospitals and
20	20	other appropriate health care entities according to the program
21	21	criteria established under this section.
22	22	(b) The board shall establish criteria for the grant program
23	23	in consultation with one or more physicians, including a physician
24	24	who practices in a rural area of this state, teaching hospitals,
25	25	medical schools, and independent physician residency programs, and
26	26	with other persons considered appropriate by the board. The
27	27	program criteria must take into account whether a rural or
28	28	nonmetropolitan area has the resources sufficient to support a
29	29	physician residency program in a manner that would satisfy
30	30	applicable residency program accreditation requirements.
31	31	(c) The board may provide grants only to support a physician
32	32	residency program:
33	33	(1) that provides the level of medical care that is
34	34	most needed in a rural or nonmetropolitan area; and
35	35	(2) until the program becomes eligible for federal
36	36	grant funding.
37	37	(d) Grant funds awarded under this section may be used only
38	38	to pay direct costs associated with creating or maintaining a
39	39	residency position, including the salary of the resident physician.
40	40	(e) Each grant application must:
41	41	(1) specify the number of residency positions expected
42	42	to be created or maintained with the grant money;
43	43	(2) specify the grant amount requested for each year;
44	44	(3) include documentation of infrastructure and
45	45	staffing to satisfy applicable residency program accreditation
46	46	requirements;
47	47	(4) include documentation that the residency program
48	48	will set a primary goal of producing physicians who are prepared for
49	49	practice in a rural area; and
50	50	(5) include evidence of support for residency training
51	51	by sponsoring institutions and the community.
52	52	(f) The board shall award grants for all residency positions
53	53	awarded a grant under this section in the preceding year before
54	54	awarding a grant for a residency position that did not receive a
55	55	grant in the preceding year, provided that the applicable grant
56	56	recipient from the preceding year complies with all conditions of
57	57	the grant as described by Subsection (g) and satisfies the grant
58	58	eligibility requirements.
59	59	(g) The board shall monitor physician residency programs
60	60	receiving grants as necessary to ensure compliance with the grant
61	61	program and shall require the return of any unused grant money by,
62	62	or shall decline to award additional grants to, a residency program
63	63	that receives a grant but fails to:
64	64	(1) create and fill, within a reasonable period, the
65	65	number of residency positions proposed in the program's grant
66	66	application; or
67	67	(2) satisfy any other conditions of the grant imposed
68	68	by the board.
69	69	(h) The board shall use money forfeited under Subsection (g)
70	70	to award grants to other eligible applicants. With respect to the
71	71	physician residency program forfeiting the grant, the board may
72	72	restore grant money or award additional grants, as applicable, to
73	73	the program as soon as practicable after the program satisfies all
74	74	conditions of the grant.
75	75	(i) The board shall adopt rules for the administration of
76	76	the grant program. The rules must include:
77	77	(1) administrative provisions governing:
78	78	(A) eligibility criteria for grant applicants;
79	79	(B) grant application procedures;
80	80	(C) guidelines relating to grant amounts;
81	81	(D) guidelines relating to the number of grants
82	82	to be awarded each year, subject to available funds;
83	83	(E) procedures for evaluating grant
84	84	applications;
85	85	(F) procedures for monitoring the use of grants;
86	86	and
87	87	(G) reporting requirements for grant recipients;
88	88	(2) methods for tracking the effectiveness of grants;
89	89	and
90	90	(3) any conditions relating to the receipt and use of a
91	91	grant as considered appropriate by the board.
92	92	SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective
93	93	date of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
94	94	shall adopt rules for the implementation and administration of the
95	95	grant program established under Subchapter E, Chapter 58A,
96	96	Education Code, as added by this Act. The board may adopt the
97	97	initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.
98	98	(b) Not later than October 1, 2017, the Texas Higher
99	99	Education Coordinating Board shall establish the grant program
100	100	required by Subchapter E, Chapter 58A, Education Code, as added by
101	101	this Act, and shall begin to award grants under that program not
102	102	later than January 1, 2018.
103	103	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
104	104	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
105	105	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
106	106	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
107	107	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.