| 1 | 1 | | 85R465 MAW-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Huffines S.B. No. 845 |
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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 an occupational licensing database. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Occupations Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | adding Subchapter J to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SUBCHAPTER J. OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING DATABASE |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.501. DEFINITIONS. Notwithstanding Section 51.001, |
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| 13 | 13 | | in this subchapter: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "License" includes a certificate, registration, |
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| 15 | 15 | | permit, or other authorization that is issued by a licensing |
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| 16 | 16 | | authority. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Licensing authority" means a department, |
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| 18 | 18 | | commission, board, office, or other agency of the state that issues |
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| 19 | 19 | | a license. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 51.502. OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING DATABASE. (a) The |
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| 21 | 21 | | department shall create and make accessible on an Internet website |
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| 22 | 22 | | maintained by the department an occupational licensing database as |
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| 23 | 23 | | provided by this section. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) The database must include with respect to each license |
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| 25 | 25 | | required by a licensing authority: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) the purpose for which the license is issued; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) the requirements, including the types and number |
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| 28 | 28 | | of hours of education and other training, necessary for an |
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| 29 | 29 | | applicant to receive the license; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) the estimated financial cost to an applicant in |
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| 31 | 31 | | obtaining the license, including the cost of fulfilling education |
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| 32 | 32 | | and training requirements and application fees; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) the number of license holders. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) At least annually, the department shall update the |
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| 35 | 35 | | information in the database for each license, as appropriate. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) To the extent possible, the department shall present |
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| 37 | 37 | | information in the database in a manner that is searchable and |
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| 38 | 38 | | intuitive to users. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (e) The department may not charge a fee to the public to |
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| 40 | 40 | | access the database. |
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| 41 | 41 | | Sec. 51.503. REPORTING OF LICENSING INFORMATION TO |
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| 42 | 42 | | DEPARTMENT. Not later than February 1 of each year, a licensing |
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| 43 | 43 | | authority shall submit to the department, in a form and in the |
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| 44 | 44 | | manner prescribed by the department, a report containing the |
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| 45 | 45 | | information described by Section 51.502(b) and other information |
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| 46 | 46 | | specified by the department for the purpose of providing the |
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| 47 | 47 | | department with information to maintain the occupational licensing |
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| 48 | 48 | | database under Section 51.502. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 2. Not later than September 1, 2018, the Texas |
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| 50 | 50 | | Department of Licensing and Regulation shall make accessible to the |
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| 51 | 51 | | public the occupational licensing database required by Section |
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| 52 | 52 | | 51.502, Occupations Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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