Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB1785 Compare Versions

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1	1	H.B. No. 1785
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the licensing of occupational therapists.
6	6	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	7	SECTION 1. Section 454.204, Occupations Code, is amended to
8	8	read as follows:
9	9	Sec. 454.204. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. To satisfy Section
10	10	454.203(a)(1):
11	11	(1) an applicant applying for an occupational
12	12	therapist license must have, from a program approved by the
13	13	Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, its
14	14	predecessor organization, or another national credentialing agency
15	15	approved by the board:
16	16	(A) a baccalaureate degree in occupational
17	17	therapy, if the applicant graduated before January 1, 2007;
18	18	(B) a certificate evidencing successful
19	19	completion of required undergraduate occupational therapy course
20	20	work awarded to persons with a baccalaureate degree that is not in
21	21	occupational therapy, if the applicant graduated before January 1,
22	22	2007; or
23	23	(C) a postbaccalaureate [postgraduate] degree in
24	24	occupational therapy; and
25	25	(2) an applicant applying for an occupational therapy
26	26	assistant license must have:
27	27	(A) an associate degree in occupational therapy;
28	28	or
29	29	(B) an occupational therapy assistant
30	30	certificate.
31	31	SECTION 2. Sections 454.252(b) and (c), Occupations Code,
32	32	are amended to read as follows:
33	33	(b) A person whose license has been expired for 90 days or
34	34	less may renew the license by paying to the executive council the
35	35	renewal fee and a late fee set by the executive council that may not
36	36	exceed [is equal to] one-half of the examination fee for the
37	37	license. If a person's license has been expired for more than 90
38	38	days but less than one year, the person may renew the license by
39	39	paying to the executive council all unpaid renewal fees and a late
40	40	fee set by the executive council that may not exceed [is equal to]
41	41	the amount charged for examination for the license.
42	42	(c) A person whose license has been expired for one year or
43	43	longer must comply with the board's requirements and procedures to
44	44	reinstate the license, and pay a reinstatement fee set by the
45	45	executive council [may not renew the license]. If the board
46	46	requirements cannot be met, the [The] person may obtain a new
47	47	license by submitting to reexamination and complying with the
48	48	requirements and procedures for obtaining an original license.
49	49	SECTION 3. Section 454.253, Occupations Code, is amended to
50	50	read as follows:
51	51	Sec. 454.253. RENEWAL OF EXPIRED LICENSE BY OUT-OF-STATE
52	52	PRACTITIONER. (a) The board may renew without reexamination the
53	53	expired license of a person who was licensed to practice as an
54	54	occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in this
55	55	state, moved to another state, [and] is currently licensed and in
56	56	good standing [has been in practice] in the other state, and meets
57	57	the board's requirements [for the two years preceding application].
58	58	(b) The person must pay to the executive council a renewal
59	59	fee set by the executive council in an amount that may not exceed
60	60	[equal to] the examination fee for the license.
61	61	SECTION 4. Section 454.254(d), Occupations Code, is amended
62	62	to read as follows:
63	63	(d) In adopting rules under Subsection (a)(3), the board may
64	64	authorize license holder peer organizations in this state to
65	65	evaluate and approve continuing education courses in accordance
66	66	with the board's evaluation and approval process. [The board may
67	67	not adopt rules implementing this subsection after January 1,
68	68	2003.]
69	69	SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
70	70	license applications and renewals filed on or after the effective
71	71	date of this Act. A license application or renewal filed before the
72	72	effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at the
73	73	time the application or renewal was filed, and the former law is
74	74	continued in effect for that purpose.
75	75	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
76	76	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
77	77	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
78	78	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
79	79	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
80	80	______________________________ ______________________________
81	81	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
82	82	I certify that H.B. No. 1785 was passed by the House on April
83	83	9, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 1 present, not
84	84	voting.
85	85	______________________________
86	86	Chief Clerk of the House
87	87	I certify that H.B. No. 1785 was passed by the Senate on May
88	88	21, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
89	89	______________________________
90	90	Secretary of the Senate
91	91	APPROVED: _____________________
92	92	Date
93	93	_____________________
94	94	Governor