H.B. No. 5265 proposes the establishment of the Texas Health Care Workforce Education Fund, aimed at providing dedicated funding to general academic teaching institutions to increase the production of health care professional degrees in response to workforce needs in Texas. The bill amends Section 62.003(1) of the Education Code to include Subchapter J, which defines "eligible institution" and introduces the new fund. The fund will be administered by the comptroller and invested by the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company, with provisions for the distribution of funds to eligible institutions based on their awarded health care professional degrees.

The bill outlines the eligibility criteria for institutions to receive distributions, the allocation of funds, and the permissible uses of the allocated amounts. It specifies that 95% of the appropriated funds will go to a permanent endowment for health care workforce education, while 5% will support a startup fund for new or expanded health care degree programs. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for the comptroller to manage the fund's expenses and to solicit donations. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2026, contingent upon the approval of a related constitutional amendment by voters.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 62.003 (Education Code 62)
House Committee Report: Education Code 62.003 (Education Code 62)
Engrossed: Education Code 62.003 (Education Code 62)