This new university is a big deal.
Action 4 News has learned that lawmakers from across the Rio Grande Valley are joining forces to file what could be the biggest piece of legislation.
On Monday, a $100 million bill, paves the path for the creation of a medical school.
The bill was authored by state Senators Eddie Lucio Jr., Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, Judith Zafririni and Kel Seliger.
The new school comes on the heels of years of hard work and dedication to improve the future of healthcare in the Valley.
The legislation would create a merge in the University of Texas schools.
It would generate additional higher education opportunities, resources, economic development and jobs in the Rio Grande Valley.
"This is a historic day for the Rio Grande Valley," Lucio said. "Today's filing is the first important step toward creating the Valley's only Tier One research university, with state-of-the-art facilities and the ability to attract top-notch faculty.
Once the legislation is filed, both the House and Senate will discuss how it will be funded, where the university will be located and how it will be named.
If the bill is passed, $10 million will go towards the university over a 10 year period.
Additional funding would come from the UT system's permanent university fund, which has over $9.1 billion dollars in funding.
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