Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2233 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 04/15/2019

                            86R20969 TSR-F
 By: White H.B. No. 2233
 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2233:
 By:  Allen C.S.H.B. No. 2233


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the eligibility for certain occupational licenses and
 the use of a person's criminal history as grounds for certain
 actions related to the license.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 202.253(a-1), Occupations Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a-1)  The commission or department may refuse to admit a
 person to an examination, and may refuse to issue a license to
 practice podiatry to a person, for:
 (1)  presenting a license, certificate, or diploma that
 was illegally or fraudulently obtained or engaging in fraud or
 deception in passing the examination;
 (2)  being convicted of[:
 [(A)  a felony;
 [(B)  a crime that involves moral turpitude; or
 [(C)]  an offense under Section 202.606;
 (3)  engaging in habits of intemperance or drug
 addiction that in the department's opinion would endanger the
 health, well-being, or welfare of patients;
 (4)  engaging in grossly unprofessional or
 dishonorable conduct of a character that in the department's
 opinion is likely to deceive or defraud the public;
 (5)  directly or indirectly violating or attempting to
 violate this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter as a
 principal, accessory, or accomplice;
 (6)  using any advertising statement of a character
 tending to mislead or deceive the public;
 (7)  advertising professional superiority or the
 performance of professional service in a superior manner;
 (8)  purchasing, selling, bartering, or using or
 offering to purchase, sell, barter, or use a podiatry degree,
 license, certificate, diploma, or a transcript of a license,
 certificate, or diploma, in or incident to an application for a
 license to practice podiatry;
 (9)  altering, with fraudulent intent, a podiatry
 license, certificate, diploma, or a transcript of a podiatry
 license, certificate, or diploma;
 (10)  using a podiatry license, certificate, or
 diploma, or a transcript of a podiatry license, certificate, or
 diploma, that has been fraudulently purchased, issued,
 counterfeited, or materially altered;
 (11)  impersonating, or acting as proxy for, another
 person in a podiatry license examination;
 (12)  impersonating a license holder, or permitting
 another person to use the license holder's license to practice
 podiatry in this state, to treat or offer to treat, by any method,
 conditions and ailments of human feet;
 (13)  directly or indirectly employing a person whose
 license to practice podiatry has been suspended or associating in
 the practice of podiatry with a person whose license to practice
 podiatry has been suspended or who has been convicted of the
 unlawful practice of podiatry in this state or elsewhere;
 (14)  wilfully making in the application for a license
 to practice podiatry a material misrepresentation or material
 untrue statement;
 (15)  being unable to practice podiatry with reasonable
 skill and safety to a patient because of age, illness, drunkenness,
 or excessive use of drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or other
 substances or as a result of a mental or physical condition;
 (16)  failing to practice podiatry in an acceptable
 manner consistent with public health and welfare;
 (17)  being removed, suspended, or disciplined in
 another manner by the podiatrist's peers in a professional podiatry
 association or society, whether local, regional, state, or national
 in scope, or being disciplined by a licensed hospital or the medical
 staff of a hospital, including removal, suspension, limitation of
 hospital privileges, or other disciplinary action, if the
 commission or department determines that the action was:
 (A)  based on unprofessional conduct or
 professional incompetence likely to harm the public; and
 (B)  appropriate and reasonably supported by
 evidence submitted to the association, society, hospital, or
 medical staff; or
 (18)  having repeated or recurring meritorious health
 care liability claims filed against the podiatrist that in
 the  commission's or department's opinion are evidence of
 professional incompetence likely to injure the public.
 SECTION 2.  Section 203.404(a), Occupations Code, is amended
 to read as follows:
 (a)  The commission or executive director may discipline a
 licensed midwife, refuse to renew a midwife's license, or refuse to
 issue a license to an applicant if the person:
 (1)  violates this chapter or a rule adopted under this
 chapter;
 (2)  submits false or misleading information to the
 department;
 (3)  [is convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral
 turpitude or a felony;
 [(4)]  uses alcohol or drugs intemperately;
 (4) [(5)]  engages in unprofessional or dishonorable
 conduct that may reasonably be determined to deceive or defraud the
 public;
 (5) [(6)]  is unable to practice midwifery with
 reasonable skill and safety because of illness, disability, or
 psychological impairment;
 (6) [(7)]  is determined by a court judgment to be
 mentally impaired;
 (7) [(8)]  submits a birth or death certificate known
 by the person to be false or fraudulent or engages in another act
 that violates Title 3, Health and Safety Code, or a rule adopted
 under that title;
 (8) [(9)]  violates Chapter 244, Health and Safety
 Code, or a rule adopted under that chapter; or
 (9) [(10)]  fails to practice midwifery in a manner
 consistent with the public health and safety.
 SECTION 3.  Sections 802.107(a) and (b), Occupations Code,
 are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The department shall deny issuance of a license to, or
 refuse to renew the license of, a person if the person or a
 controlling person of the dog or cat breeder has pled guilty or nolo
 contendere to, been convicted of, or received deferred adjudication
 for animal cruelty or neglect in this state or any other
 jurisdiction in the five years preceding the person's initial or
 renewal application for a license.
 (b)  The [department shall revoke a] license of a person is
 revoked by operation of law if, after the license is issued, the
 person or a controlling person of the dog or cat breeder pleads
 guilty or nolo contendere to, is convicted of, or receives deferred
 adjudication for animal cruelty or neglect in this state or any
 other jurisdiction.
 SECTION 4.  Section 1305.152(a), Occupations Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a)  An applicant for a license under this chapter must:
 (1)  submit to the department a completed application
 on a form prescribed by the executive director;
 (2)  submit to the department any other information
 required by executive director rule;
 (3)  demonstrate to the satisfaction of the executive
 director the appropriate amount of electrical work experience as
 required by this subchapter; and
 (4)  [demonstrate the applicant's honesty,
 trustworthiness, and integrity; and
 [(5)]  pay the application and examination fees.
 SECTION 5.  Section 1802.052(a), Occupations Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a)  An individual is eligible for an auctioneer's license if
 the individual:
 (1)  is at least 18 years of age;
 (2)  is a citizen of the United States or a legal alien;
 (3)  either:
 (A)  passes a written or oral examination
 demonstrating knowledge of the auction business and of the laws of
 this state relating to the auction business; or
 (B)  shows proof of employment by a licensed
 auctioneer for at least two years and participation in at least 10
 auctions during that employment;
 (4)  holds a high school diploma or a high school
 equivalency certificate; and
 (5)  [has not been convicted of a felony during the five
 years preceding the date of application; and
 [(6)]  has completed at least 80 hours of classroom
 instruction at an auction school with a curriculum approved by the
 department in accordance with the standards and procedures
 established by rule adopted under this chapter.
 SECTION 6.  Section 203.404(a), Occupations Code, as amended
 by this Act, applies only to a disciplinary action taken on or after
 the effective date of this Act. A disciplinary action taken before
 the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on
 the date the action was taken, and the former law is continued in
 effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 7.  Section 802.107(b), Occupations Code, as amended
 by this Act, applies only to an offense committed on or after the
 effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the
 effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
 date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in
 effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense
 was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element
 of the offense occurred before that date.
 SECTION 8.  Sections 1305.152 and 1802.052, Occupations
 Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an application for a
 license submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An
 application submitted before the effective date of this Act is
 governed by the law in effect on the date the application was
 submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
 purpose.
 SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.