| 1 | 1 | | By: Blanco S.B. No. 2546 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | relating to the establishment of the Texas Center for Rural Health |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Education at Sul Ross State University in Alpine. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 96, Education Code, is amended by adding Section |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | 96.03 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 96.03. TEXAS CENTER FOR RURAL HEALTH EDUCATION. (a) In |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | this section, "center" means the Texas Center for Rural Health |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Education. |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (b) The board shall establish the Texas Center for Rural |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Health Education at the university. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (c) The organization, control, and management of the center |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | are vested in the board. |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (d) The center shall: |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (1) perform an initial assessment of rural health |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | education in this state; |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (2) develop appropriate performance metrics to |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | measure improvement in rural health education and health care |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | outcomes; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (3) conduct research regarding rural health |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | education, including research to identify: |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (A) best practices in rural health education; and |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (B) underserved rural areas; |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (4) develop recommendations regarding the allocation |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | of funding for tuition and loan repayment programs available to |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | rural health care professionals; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (5) develop partnerships between high schools, |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | postsecondary institutions of higher education, and local medical |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | systems to recruit, train, and retain health care professionals to |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | serve in underserved rural areas; |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (6) develop a plan to improve rural health education |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | and health care outcomes; and |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (7) develop and maintain an Internet website that |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | provides information regarding rural health education research and |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | resources. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (e) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | the center shall submit to the legislature a report on rural health |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | education and health care outcomes in this state. The report must |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | include a summary of the center's activities under Subsection (d) |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | and any recommendations for legislative or other action. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (f) The university shall encourage public or private |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | entities to participate in or support the operation of the center |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | and may enter into an agreement with any public or private entity |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | for that purpose. An agreement may allow the center to provide |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | information, services, or other assistance to an entity in exchange |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | for the entity's participation or support. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (g) The board may solicit, accept, and administer gifts and |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | grants from any public or private source for the purposes of the |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | center. |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | (h) The board may employ personnel for the center as |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | necessary. |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (i) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement this |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | section. |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2024, the Texas Center |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | for Rural Health Education shall submit to the legislature the |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | first biennial report required under Section 96.03, Education Code, |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | as added by this Act. |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|