| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | By: Frank, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Blanco) H.B. No. 548 | |
| 2 | - | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021; | |
| 3 | - | May 4, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran | |
| 4 | - | Affairs & Border Security; May 20, 2021, reported adversely, with | |
| 5 | - | favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, | |
| 6 | - | Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.) | |
| 7 | - | Click here to see the committee vote | |
| 8 | - | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 548 By: Blanco | |
| 1 | + | 87R651 BEE-F | |
| 2 | + | By: Frank, Lozano, Guillen, Buckley, H.B. No. 548 | |
| 3 | + | Morales of Maverick, et al. | |
| 9 | 4 | ||
| 10 | 5 | ||
| 11 | 6 | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | |
| 12 | 7 | AN ACT | |
| 13 | - | relating to the | |
| 14 | - | ||
| 8 | + | relating to the licensing of certain military veterans as health | |
| 9 | + | care providers to practice in underserved areas. | |
| 15 | 10 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | |
| 16 | 11 | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is | |
| 17 | 12 | amended by adding Section 155.108 to read as follows: | |
| 18 | - | Sec. 155.108. TEMPORARY LICENSE FOR MILITARY VETERAN TO | |
| 19 | - | PRACTICE IN CERTAIN AREAS. (a) In this section, "active duty" and | |
| 20 | - | "armed forces of the United States" have the meanings assigned by | |
| 21 | - | Section 55.001. | |
| 22 | - | (b) The board shall issue a temporary license to practice | |
| 23 | - | medicine in a location described by Subsection (e) to an applicant | |
| 24 | - | who: | |
| 13 | + | Sec. 155.108. LICENSE FOR MILITARY VETERAN TO PRACTICE IN | |
| 14 | + | CERTAIN AREAS. (a) In this section, "active duty" and "armed | |
| 15 | + | forces of the United States" have the meanings assigned by Section | |
| 16 | + | 55.001. | |
| 17 | + | (b) The board shall issue a license to practice medicine in | |
| 18 | + | a location described by Subsection (e) to an applicant who: | |
| 25 | 19 | (1) is licensed in good standing as a physician in | |
| 26 | 20 | another state; | |
| 27 | 21 | (2) is a veteran of the armed forces of the United | |
| 28 | 22 | States who retired from or otherwise left military service not more | |
| 29 | 23 | than one year before the application date for a license under this | |
| 30 | 24 | section; and | |
| 31 | 25 | (3) was, at the time of retiring from or leaving | |
| 32 | 26 | military service: | |
| 33 | 27 | (A) serving on active duty in this state; and | |
| 34 | 28 | (B) authorized as a physician to treat persons | |
| 35 | 29 | enlisted in the armed forces of the United States or veterans. | |
| 36 | 30 | (c) An applicant for a license under this section is not | |
| 37 | 31 | required to have passed the Texas medical jurisprudence | |
| 38 | 32 | examination. | |
| 39 | 33 | (d) The board may not issue a license under this section to | |
| 40 | 34 | an applicant who: | |
| 41 | - | (1) was discharged or separated from the armed forces | |
| 42 | - | of the United States: | |
| 43 | - | (A) on the basis of substandard conduct; or | |
| 44 | - | (B) for any act of misconduct or moral or | |
| 45 | - | professional dereliction; | |
| 46 | - | (2) holds a medical license or a license to prescribe, | |
| 35 | + | (1) holds a medical license or a license to prescribe, | |
| 47 | 36 | dispense, administer, supply, or sell a controlled substance that: | |
| 48 | 37 | (A) is currently under active investigation; or | |
| 49 | 38 | (B) is or was subject to a disciplinary order or | |
| 50 | - | action or to denial by | |
| 51 | - | ( | |
| 39 | + | action or to denial by another jurisdiction; or | |
| 40 | + | (2) has been convicted of, is on deferred adjudication | |
| 52 | 41 | community supervision or deferred disposition for, or is under | |
| 53 | 42 | active investigation for the commission of: | |
| 54 | 43 | (A) a felony; or | |
| 55 | 44 | (B) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. | |
| 56 | 45 | (e) A physician licensed under this section may practice | |
| 57 | 46 | only in: | |
| 58 | 47 | (1) a health professional shortage area, as defined by | |
| 59 | 48 | Section 157.051; or | |
| 60 | 49 | (2) a medically underserved community, as defined by | |
| 61 | 50 | Section 487.201, Government Code. | |
| 62 | - | (f) A license issued under this section: | |
| 63 | - | (1) expires 18 months after the date the license was | |
| 64 | - | issued; and | |
| 65 | - | (2) may not be renewed. | |
| 66 | 51 | SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 301, Occupations Code, is | |
| 67 | 52 | amended by adding Section 301.262 to read as follows: | |
| 68 | - | Sec. 301.262. TEMPORARY LICENSE FOR MILITARY VETERAN TO | |
| 69 | - | PRACTICE IN CERTAIN AREAS. (a) In this section, "active duty" and | |
| 70 | - | "armed forces of the United States" have the meanings assigned by | |
| 71 | - | Section 55.001. | |
| 72 | - | (b) The board shall issue a temporary license to practice | |
| 73 | - | nursing in a location described by Subsection (e) to an applicant | |
| 74 | - | who: | |
| 53 | + | Sec. 301.262. LICENSE FOR MILITARY VETERAN TO PRACTICE IN | |
| 54 | + | CERTAIN AREAS. (a) In this section, "active duty" and "armed | |
| 55 | + | forces of the United States" have the meanings assigned by Section | |
| 56 | + | 55.001. | |
| 57 | + | (b) The board shall issue a license to practice nursing in a | |
| 58 | + | location described by Subsection (e) to an applicant who: | |
| 75 | 59 | (1) is licensed in good standing as a nurse in another | |
| 76 | 60 | state; | |
| 77 | 61 | (2) is a veteran of the armed forces of the United | |
| 78 | 62 | States who retired from or otherwise left military service not more | |
| 79 | 63 | than one year before the application date for a license under this | |
| 80 | 64 | section; and | |
| 81 | 65 | (3) was, at the time of retiring from or otherwise | |
| 82 | 66 | leaving military service: | |
| 83 | 67 | (A) serving on active duty in this state; and | |
| 84 | 68 | (B) authorized as a nurse to treat persons | |
| 85 | 69 | enlisted in the armed forces of the United States or veterans. | |
| 86 | 70 | (c) An applicant for a license under this section is not | |
| 87 | 71 | required to have passed the jurisprudence examination. | |
| 88 | 72 | (d) The board may not issue a license under this section to | |
| 89 | 73 | an applicant who: | |
| 90 | - | (1) was discharged or separated from the armed forces | |
| 91 | - | of the United States: | |
| 92 | - | (A) on the basis of substandard conduct; or | |
| 93 | - | (B) for any act of misconduct or moral or | |
| 94 | - | professional dereliction; | |
| 95 | - | (2) holds a nursing license or a license to prescribe, | |
| 74 | + | (1) holds a nursing license or a license to prescribe, | |
| 96 | 75 | dispense, administer, supply, or sell a controlled substance that: | |
| 97 | 76 | (A) is currently under active investigation; or | |
| 98 | 77 | (B) is or was subject to a disciplinary order or | |
| 99 | - | action or to denial by | |
| 100 | - | ( | |
| 78 | + | action or to denial by another jurisdiction; or | |
| 79 | + | (2) has been convicted of, is on deferred adjudication | |
| 101 | 80 | community supervision or deferred disposition for, or is under | |
| 102 | 81 | active investigation for the commission of: | |
| 103 | 82 | (A) a felony; or | |
| 104 | 83 | (B) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. | |
| 105 | 84 | (e) A nurse licensed under this section may practice only | |
| 106 | 85 | in: | |
| 107 | 86 | (1) a health professional shortage area, as defined by | |
| 108 | 87 | Section 157.051; or | |
| 109 | 88 | (2) a medically underserved community, as defined by | |
| 110 | 89 | Section 487.201, Government Code. | |
| 111 | - | (f) A license issued under this section: | |
| 112 | - | (1) expires 18 months after the date the license was | |
| 113 | - | issued; and | |
| 114 | - | (2) may not be renewed. | |
| 115 | 90 | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | |
| 116 | - | * * * * * |