H.B. No. 5265 proposes the establishment of the Texas Health Care Workforce Education Fund, aimed at addressing the state's health care workforce needs by providing financial support to eligible institutions of higher education. The bill amends Section 62.003(1) of the Education Code to include Subchapter J, which defines the purpose of the fund and outlines its administration. The fund will be managed by the comptroller and invested by the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company. It will allocate appropriations to general academic teaching institutions to increase the production of health care professional degrees, thereby meeting workforce demands in Texas.

The bill specifies eligibility criteria for institutions to receive distributions from the fund, including designations as comprehensive, doctoral, or master's universities and the awarding of health care professional degrees in the previous fiscal year. It also details the distribution of funds, with 95% allocated to a permanent endowment for health care workforce education and 5% to a startup fund for new or expanded health care degree programs. 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)