By: Uresti S.B. No. 1625
(Cortez, Oliverson, Guerra)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Texas Physician Assistant Board and the licensing
and regulation of physician assistants.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 204.0585 to read as follows:
Sec. 204.0585. EXECUTIVE SESSION. After hearing all
evidence and arguments in an open meeting, the physician assistant
board may conduct deliberations relating to a license application
or disciplinary action in an executive session. The board shall
vote and announce its decision in open session.
SECTION 2. Section 204.059, Occupations Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
follows:
(b) The training program must provide the person with
information regarding:
(1) the law governing physician assistant board
operations;
(2) the [this chapter and the physician assistant
board's] programs, functions, rules, and budget of the physician
assistant board;
(3) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking
authority of the physician assistant board;
(4) [(2)] the results of the most recent formal audit
of the physician assistant board;
(5) [(3)] the requirements of:
(A) laws relating to open meetings, public
information, administrative procedure, and disclosing conflicts of
interest; and
(B) other laws applicable to members of the
physician assistant board in performing their duties; and
(6) [(4)] any applicable ethics policies adopted by
the physician assistant board or the Texas Ethics Commission.
(d) The executive director of the medical board shall create
a training manual that includes the information required by
Subsection (b). The executive director shall distribute a copy of
the training manual annually to each physician assistant board
member. On receipt of the training manual, each board member shall
sign and submit to the executive director a statement acknowledging
receipt of the training manual.
SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 204.1525 to read as follows:
Sec. 204.1525. CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION
REQUIREMENT FOR LICENSE ISSUANCE. (a) The physician assistant
board shall require that an applicant for a license submit a
complete and legible set of fingerprints, on a form prescribed by
the board, to the board or to the Department of Public Safety for
the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information from
the Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.
(b) The physician assistant board may not issue a license to
a person who does not comply with the requirement of Subsection (a).
(c) The physician assistant board shall conduct a criminal
history record information check of each applicant for a license
using information:
(1) provided by the individual under this section; and
(2) made available to the board by the Department of
Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and any other
criminal justice agency under Chapter 411, Government Code.
(d) The physician assistant board may:
(1) enter into an agreement with the Department of
Public Safety to administer a criminal history record information
check required under this section; and
(2) authorize the Department of Public Safety to
collect from each applicant the costs incurred by the Department of
Public Safety in conducting the criminal history record information
check.
SECTION 4. Section 204.153(a), Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) To be eligible for a license under this chapter, an
applicant must:
(1) successfully complete an educational program for
physician assistants or surgeon assistants accredited by the
Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation or by that
committee's predecessor or successor entities;
(2) pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying
Examination administered by the National Commission on
Certification of Physician Assistants;
(3) hold a certificate issued by the National
Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
(4) [be of good moral character;
[(5)] meet any other requirement established by
physician assistant board rule; and
(5) [(6)] pass a jurisprudence examination approved
by the physician assistant board as provided by Subsection (a-1).
SECTION 5. Section 204.156, Occupations Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) A license issued under this chapter is valid for a term
of one or two years, as determined by physician assistant board
rule.
(a-1) On notification from the physician assistant board, a
person who holds a license under this chapter may renew the license
by:
(1) paying the required renewal fee;
(2) submitting the appropriate form; and
(3) meeting any other requirement established by board
rule.
SECTION 6. Subchapter D, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 204.1561 to read as follows:
Sec. 204.1561. CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION
REQUIREMENT FOR RENEWAL. (a) An applicant for renewal of a
license issued under this chapter shall submit a complete and
legible set of fingerprints for purposes of performing a criminal
history record information check of the applicant as provided by
Section 204.1525.
(b) The physician assistant board may administratively
suspend or refuse to renew the license of a person who does not
comply with the requirement of Subsection (a).
(c) A license holder is not required to submit fingerprints
under this section for the renewal of the license if the holder has
previously submitted fingerprints under:
(1) Section 204.1525 for the initial issuance of the
license; or
(2) this section as part of a prior renewal of a
license.
SECTION 7. Subchapter D, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 204.158 to read as follows:
Sec. 204.158. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
physician assistant board may refuse to renew a license issued
under this chapter if the license holder is in violation of a
physician assistant board order.
SECTION 8. Subchapter E, Chapter 204, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 204.210 to read as follows:
Sec. 204.210. PROTECTION FOR REFUSAL TO ENGAGE IN CERTAIN
CONDUCT. (a) A person may not suspend, terminate, or otherwise
discipline, discriminate against, or retaliate against:
(1) a physician assistant who refuses to engage in an
act or omission as provided by Subsection (b); or
(2) a person who advises a physician assistant of the
physician assistant's rights under this section.
(b) A physician assistant may refuse to engage in an act or
omission relating to patient care that would constitute grounds for
reporting the physician assistant to the physician assistant board
under Section 204.208 or that violates this chapter or a rule
adopted under this chapter if the physician assistant notifies the
person at the time of the refusal that the reason for refusing is
that the act or omission:
(1) constitutes grounds for reporting the physician
assistant to the physician assistant board; or
(2) is a violation of this chapter or a rule adopted
under this chapter.
(c) An act by a person under Subsection (a) does not
constitute a violation of this section if a medical peer review
committee determines:
(1) that the act or omission the physician assistant
refused to engage in was not:
(A) conduct reportable to the physician
assistant board under Section 204.208; or
(B) a violation of this chapter or a rule adopted
under this chapter; or
(2) that:
(A) the act or omission in which the physician
assistant refused to engage was conduct reportable to the physician
assistant board or a violation of this chapter or a rule adopted
under this chapter; and
(B) the person:
(i) rescinds any disciplinary or
discriminatory action taken against the physician assistant;
(ii) compensates the physician assistant
for any lost wages; and
(iii) restores to the physician assistant
any lost benefits.
(d) A physician assistant's rights under this section may
not be nullified by a contract.
(e) An appropriate licensing agency may take action against
a person who violates this section.
SECTION 9. Section 204.313(a), Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) In an informal meeting under Section 204.312, at least
two panelists shall be appointed to determine whether an informal
disposition is appropriate. At least one of the panelists must be a
licensed physician assistant.
SECTION 10. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
this section, Section 204.059, Occupations Code, as amended by this
Act, applies to a member of the Texas Physician Assistant Board
appointed before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.
(b) A member of the Texas Physician Assistant Board who,
before the effective date of this Act, completed the training
program required by Section 204.059, Occupations Code, as that law
existed before the effective date of this Act, is only required to
complete additional training on the subjects added by this Act to
the training program required by Section 204.059, Occupations Code.
A board member described by this subsection may not vote,
deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at a meeting of
the board held on or after December 1, 2017, until the member
completes the additional training.
SECTION 11. Not later than September 1, 2019, the Texas
Physician Assistant Board shall obtain criminal history record
information on each person who, on the effective date of this Act,
holds a license issued under Chapter 204, Occupations Code, and did
not undergo a criminal history record information check based on
the license holder's fingerprints on the initial application for
the license. The Texas Physician Assistant Board may suspend the
license of a license holder who does not provide the criminal
history record information as required by the board and this
section.
SECTION 12. Section 204.210, Occupations Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to an act or omission that occurs on or after
the effective date of this Act. An act or omission that occurs
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
effect on the date the act or omission occurred, and the former law
is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 13. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.