| 1 | 1 | | By: Nelson S.B. No. 189 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Zerwas) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the eligibility of certain aliens for a license to |
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| 8 | 8 | | practice medicine in this state. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 155.0045 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 155.0045. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR |
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| 13 | 13 | | CERTAIN ALIENS. (a) A license applicant who is not a United States |
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| 14 | 14 | | citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in |
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| 15 | 15 | | the United States must present proof satisfactory to the board that |
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| 16 | 16 | | the applicant has practiced medicine or has signed an agreement to |
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| 17 | 17 | | practice medicine as a condition of the license for at least three |
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| 18 | 18 | | years in an area in this state that is designated by the United |
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| 19 | 19 | | States Department of Health and Human Services as a health |
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| 20 | 20 | | professional shortage area or a medically underserved area. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) Subsection (a) does not prohibit the board from issuing |
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| 22 | 22 | | a license to an applicant described by that subsection who is |
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| 23 | 23 | | applying for a license to practice medicine at a graduate medical |
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| 24 | 24 | | training program in this state that is not in an area described by |
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| 25 | 25 | | that subsection. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The board shall adopt rules and procedures to implement |
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| 27 | 27 | | this section, including rules to determine whether the applicant is |
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| 28 | 28 | | complying with the agreement required under Subsection (a). |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) The board by rule may limit the license to practice |
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| 30 | 30 | | medicine of an applicant described by Subsection (a) to an area in |
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| 31 | 31 | | this state that is designated by the United States Department of |
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| 32 | 32 | | Health and Human Services as a health professional shortage area or |
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| 33 | 33 | | a medically underserved area. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. Not later than May 1, 2012, the Texas Medical |
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| 35 | 35 | | Board shall adopt the rules necessary to implement Section |
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| 36 | 36 | | 155.0045, Occupations Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 38 | 38 | | an application for an initial license to practice medicine made on |
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| 39 | 39 | | or after September 1, 2012. An application for an initial license |
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| 40 | 40 | | to practice medicine made before that date and the subsequent |
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| 41 | 41 | | renewal of the license is covered by the law in effect when the |
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| 42 | 42 | | application was made, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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| 43 | 43 | | that purpose. |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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