Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5294 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R8574 CXP-D
2	2	By: Bonnen H.B. No. 5294
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to medical school admissions, coursework, academic
10	10	standards, and employment decisions in this state.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Section 51.3095 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 51.3095. CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION
15	15	COURSEWORK AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS REVISIONS. (a) In this section,
16	16	"medical school" means:
17	17	(1) a medical school as defined by Section 61.501; or
18	18	(2) any other institution of higher education, as
19	19	defined by Section 61.003, or school, department, or college of
20	20	such an institution, that awards medical degrees.
21	21	(b) Each medical school:
22	22	(1) shall ensure that any coursework offered in the
23	23	curriculum required for a medical degree or certificate assesses a
24	24	student's performance on the coursework based on the assignment of
25	25	a letter grade from A to F; and
26	26	(2) may not offer coursework described by Subdivision
27	27	(1), including any assignment or other component of the coursework,
28	28	on a pass/fail basis.
29	29	(c) Except as required to comply with state or federal law,
30	30	a medical school may not revise its academic standards for the award
31	31	of a degree or certificate unless the medical school submits to the
32	32	legislature and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:
33	33	(1) a copy of the proposed standards;
34	34	(2) a concise general statement of the reasons for the
35	35	proposed standards; and
36	36	(3) the date on which the proposed standards would
37	37	become effective.
38	38	SECTION 2. Subchapter W, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
39	39	amended by adding Section 51.8425 to read as follows:
40	40	Sec. 51.8425. CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO MEDICAL
41	41	SCHOOL ADMISSION. (a) In this section, "medical school" has the
42	42	meaning assigned by Section 51.3095.
43	43	(b) In making admissions decisions for a medical degree or
44	44	certificate program, a medical school shall consider an applicant's
45	45	performance on a standardized test appropriate for the program that
46	46	focuses on knowledge of and critical thinking applicable to science
47	47	and medical practice, except that the applicant's performance on
48	48	the standardized test may not be used as the sole criterion for
49	49	consideration of the applicant.
50	50	(c) Except as required to comply with state or federal law,
51	51	a medical school may not revise its academic standards for the
52	52	admission of a student to the medical school or to a degree or
53	53	certificate program unless the medical school submits to the
54	54	legislature and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:
55	55	(1) a copy of the proposed standards;
56	56	(2) a concise general statement of the reasons for the
57	57	proposed standards; and
58	58	(3) the date on which the proposed standards would
59	59	become effective.
60	60	SECTION 3. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
61	61	amended by adding Section 51.9247 to read as follows:
62	62	Sec. 51.9247. CONSIDERATION OF RACE, SEX, COLOR, ETHNICITY,
63	63	OR NATIONAL ORIGIN IN MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS AND EMPLOYMENT
64	64	DECISIONS PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "medical school" has
65	65	the meaning assigned by Section 51.3095.
66	66	(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a medical
67	67	school may not grant preference on the basis of race, sex, color,
68	68	ethnicity, or national origin to an applicant:
69	69	(1) for admission to the medical school or to a degree
70	70	or certificate program; or
71	71	(2) for employment by the medical school.
72	72	(c) Nothing in this section may be construed as prohibiting
73	73	bona fide qualifications based on sex that are reasonably necessary
74	74	to the normal operation of a medical school.
75	75	SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to admissions
76	76	at medical schools apply beginning with admissions for the 2026
77	77	spring semester. Admissions for an academic period preceding that
78	78	semester are governed by the law in effect immediately before the
79	79	effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in
80	80	effect for that purpose.
81	81	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
82	82	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
83	83	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
84	84	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
85	85	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.