HBA-EDN H.B. 2521 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2521 By: Wilson Higher Education 3/26/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE African-Americans and other minorities still enroll in medical schools in unequal numbers. As we become a more culturally diverse nation, we have to address the needs of minority students in order to provide an avenue into professional schools for these students. House Bill 2521 establishes a medical school at Prairie View A&M University. 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 House Bill 2521 amends the Education Code to establish a medical school at Prairie View A&M University. The bill requires the board of regents of The Texas A&M University System (board of regents) to establish no later than the 2003-2004 academic year and maintain the Prairie View A&M University Medical School as a medical and dental unit within Prairie View A&M University. The bill authorizes the board of regents to: _prescribe courses at the medical school leading to degrees customarily offered in other leading American medical schools; _award the degrees described above; and _adopt rules for the operation, control, and management of the Prairie View A&M University Medical School, as necessary for the operation of a first class medical school, including rules governing the number of students that may be admitted to any program in the medical school. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.