HBA-LJP C.S.H.B. 1640 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1640
By: Rangel
Higher Education
3/26/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

According to the 2000 report "Texas-Mexico Border Health Education Needs: A
Report to the 77th 
Legislature" of the Texas Department of Health and the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, the Texas-Mexico border region (border
region) has a population-to-pharmacist ratio of 1,770:1, which is 32
percent higher than the statewide ratio.  The report contends that the
border's rapid population growth and difficulty in recruiting and retaining
pharmacists, and the lack of an increase in the number of pharmacist
graduates in Texas over the last couple of years, contribute to the
pharmacist shortage in the border region. Currently, there are no public
pharmacy schools in the border region and a pharmacy school in South Texas
may help relieve the shortage of pharmacists in the border region.
C.S.H.B. 1640 authorizes the creation of a professional school of pharmacy
at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1640 amends the Education Code to authorize the board of regents
of The Texas A&M University System to establish and maintain a professional
school of pharmacy at Texas A&M UniversityKingsville. 

The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to prepare
an impact statement examining the initial implementation of the bill and to
deliver a copy of the statement to the board and to the chair of the
standing committee of each house of the legislature with primary
jurisdiction over higher education. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1640 modifies the original by authorizing, rather than requiring,
the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System to establish and
maintain a professional school of pharmacy at Texas A&M
University-Kingsville.  The substitute also removes the provisions
requiring the establishment of the pharmacy school be contingent on the
legislative appropriation of money for that purpose.