S.B. No. 674
AN ACT
relating to licensing for certain health professions, including an
expedited process for certain physicians specializing in
psychiatry; authorizing a fee.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 155.010 to read as follows:
Sec. 155.010. EXPEDITED LICENSING PROCESS FOR PHYSICIANS
SPECIALIZING IN PSYCHIATRY. (a) The board by rule shall create an
expedited licensing process for an applicant who:
(1) holds an unrestricted license to practice medicine
issued by another state;
(2) is board certified in psychiatry by the American
Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or the American Osteopathic Board
of Neurology and Psychiatry; and
(3) is not ineligible under Section 155.003(e).
(b) The expedited licensing process must include a
procedure for the board to screen applications under this subtitle
to determine whether an applicant would be eligible for the
expedited licensing process under this section.
(c) The requirements for renewal of a registration permit
for a license holder issued a license under this section may not be
more stringent than the requirements for a license holder issued a
license on a non-expedited basis.
(d) The board may establish a fee for the expedited process.
(e) This section expires January 1, 2022.
SECTION 2. Section 155.056, Occupations Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), an [An]
applicant must pass each part of an examination within three
attempts.
(a-1) The limit on the number of examination attempts under
Subsection (a) does not apply to the Texas medical jurisprudence
examination.
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 156, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 156.010 to read as follows:
Sec. 156.010. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
board may refuse to renew a registration permit issued under this
chapter if the license holder is in violation of a board order.
SECTION 4. The heading to Section 205.251, Occupations
Code, is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 205.251. [ANNUAL] RENEWAL REQUIRED.
SECTION 5. Section 205.251(a), Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The medical board by rule shall provide for the annual
or biennial renewal of a license to practice acupuncture.
SECTION 6. Subchapter F, Chapter 205, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 205.256 to read as follows:
Sec. 205.256. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
acupuncture board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
chapter if the license holder is in violation of an acupuncture
board order.
SECTION 7. Subchapter E, Chapter 206, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 206.215 to read as follows:
Sec. 206.215. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
medical board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
chapter if the license holder is in violation of a medical board
order.
SECTION 8. Subchapter C, Chapter 601, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 601.113 to read as follows:
Sec. 601.113. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
advisory board may refuse to renew a certificate issued under this
chapter if the certificate holder is in violation of an advisory
board order.
SECTION 9. Section 601.155, Occupations Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 601.155. STUDENTS. A person is not required to hold a
certificate issued under this chapter [or to comply with the
registration requirements adopted under Section 601.252] if the
person:
(1) is a student enrolled in a training program that
meets the minimum standards adopted under Section 601.201; and
(2) is performing a radiologic procedure in an
academic or clinical setting as part of the training program.
SECTION 10. Section 601.156, Occupations Code, is amended
to read as follows:
Sec. 601.156. PROCEDURE PERFORMED AS PART OF CONTINUING
EDUCATION PROGRAM. A person is not required to hold a certificate
issued under this chapter [or to comply with the registration
requirements adopted under Section 601.252] if the person is:
(1) licensed or otherwise registered as a medical
radiologic technologist by another state, the American Registry of
Radiologic Technologists, the American Registry of Clinical
Radiography Technologists, or a professional organization or
association recognized by the advisory board;
(2) enrolled in a continuing education program that
meets the requirements adopted under Section 601.108; and
(3) performing a radiologic procedure as part of the
continuing education program for not more than 10 days.
SECTION 11. Section 601.203(b), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(b) The following conditions are considered to be a hardship
for the purposes of Subsection (a):
(1) that the applicant:
(A) reports an inability to attract and retain
medical radiologic technologists; and
(B) is located in a county with a population of
less than 50,000;
(2) that the applicant is located at a great distance
from a school of medical radiologic technology;
(3) that there is a list of qualified persons who have
applied to a school of medical radiologic technology whose
admissions are pending because of a lack of faculty or space;
(4) that the school of medical radiologic technology
produces an insufficient number of graduates in medical radiologic
technology to meet the needs of the applicant; or
(5) any other criteria determined by advisory board
rule.
SECTION 12. Sections 601.252(c) and (d), Occupations Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(c) Rules adopted under this section by the State Board of
Dental Examiners must:
(1) require an authorized person who performs
radiologic procedures under the delegation of a dentist, other than
a registered nurse, to register with the dental board [agency that
licenses the practitioner under whom the person performs radiologic
procedures];
(2) establish reasonable and necessary fees to cover
the administrative costs incurred by the dental board [agency] in
administering a registration program created under this
subsection;
(3) establish grounds for the suspension, revocation,
or nonrenewal of a registration issued under this subsection; and
(4) establish standards, in addition to those required
by this chapter, for training and supervising the operators of the
equipment.
(d) In adopting rules under Subsection (c), the State Board
of Dental Examiners [an agency] may take into account whether the
radiologic procedure will be performed by a registered nurse.
SECTION 13. Subchapter E, Chapter 602, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 602.214 to read as follows:
Sec. 602.214. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
medical board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
chapter if the license holder is in violation of a medical board
order.
SECTION 14. Section 603.252(a), Occupations Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) An applicant for a perfusionist license must submit an
[a sworn] application accompanied by the application fee.
SECTION 15. Subchapter G, Chapter 603, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 603.306 to read as follows:
Sec. 603.306. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
medical board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
chapter if the license holder is in violation of a medical board
order.
SECTION 16. Subchapter D, Chapter 604, Occupations Code, is
amended by adding Section 604.158 to read as follows:
Sec. 604.158. REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
advisory board may refuse to renew a certificate or temporary
permit issued under this chapter if the certificate or permit
holder is in violation of an advisory board order.
SECTION 17. The Texas Medical Board shall create and
implement the expedited licensing process under Section 155.010,
Occupations Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1,
2018.
SECTION 18. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 674 passed the Senate on
March 20, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2017, by the
following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 674 passed the House, with
amendment, on May 23, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145,
Nays 0, two present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor