| 1 | 1 | | 87R651 BEE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Blanco S.B. No. 1909 |
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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 the licensing of certain military veterans as health |
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| 8 | 8 | | care providers to practice in underserved areas. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 155.108 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 155.108. LICENSE FOR MILITARY VETERAN TO PRACTICE IN |
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| 13 | 13 | | CERTAIN AREAS. (a) In this section, "active duty" and "armed |
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| 14 | 14 | | forces of the United States" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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| 15 | 15 | | 55.001. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) The board shall issue a license to practice medicine in |
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| 17 | 17 | | a location described by Subsection (e) to an applicant who: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) is licensed in good standing as a physician in |
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| 19 | 19 | | another state; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) is a veteran of the armed forces of the United |
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| 21 | 21 | | States who retired from or otherwise left military service not more |
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| 22 | 22 | | than one year before the application date for a license under this |
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| 23 | 23 | | section; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) was, at the time of retiring from or leaving |
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| 25 | 25 | | military service: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) serving on active duty in this state; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (B) authorized as a physician to treat persons |
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| 28 | 28 | | enlisted in the armed forces of the United States or veterans. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) An applicant for a license under this section is not |
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| 30 | 30 | | required to have passed the Texas medical jurisprudence |
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| 31 | 31 | | examination. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) The board may not issue a license under this section to |
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| 33 | 33 | | an applicant who: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) holds a medical license or a license to prescribe, |
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| 35 | 35 | | dispense, administer, supply, or sell a controlled substance that: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) is currently under active investigation; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (B) is or was subject to a disciplinary order or |
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| 38 | 38 | | action or to denial by another jurisdiction; or |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) has been convicted of, is on deferred adjudication |
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| 40 | 40 | | community supervision or deferred disposition for, or is under |
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| 41 | 41 | | active investigation for the commission of: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (A) a felony; or |
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| 43 | 43 | | (B) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (e) A physician licensed under this section may practice |
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| 45 | 45 | | only in: |
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| 46 | 46 | | (1) a health professional shortage area, as defined by |
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| 47 | 47 | | Section 157.051; or |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) a medically underserved community, as defined by |
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| 49 | 49 | | Section 487.201, Government Code. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 301, Occupations Code, is |
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| 51 | 51 | | amended by adding Section 301.262 to read as follows: |
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| 52 | 52 | | Sec. 301.262. LICENSE FOR MILITARY VETERAN TO PRACTICE IN |
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| 53 | 53 | | CERTAIN AREAS. (a) In this section, "active duty" and "armed |
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| 54 | 54 | | forces of the United States" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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| 55 | 55 | | 55.001. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (b) The board shall issue a license to practice nursing in a |
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| 57 | 57 | | location described by Subsection (e) to an applicant who: |
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| 58 | 58 | | (1) is licensed in good standing as a nurse in another |
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| 59 | 59 | | state; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (2) is a veteran of the armed forces of the United |
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| 61 | 61 | | States who retired from or otherwise left military service not more |
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| 62 | 62 | | than one year before the application date for a license under this |
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| 63 | 63 | | section; and |
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| 64 | 64 | | (3) was, at the time of retiring from or otherwise |
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| 65 | 65 | | leaving military service: |
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| 66 | 66 | | (A) serving on active duty in this state; and |
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| 67 | 67 | | (B) authorized as a nurse to treat persons |
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| 68 | 68 | | enlisted in the armed forces of the United States or veterans. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (c) An applicant for a license under this section is not |
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| 70 | 70 | | required to have passed the jurisprudence examination. |
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| 71 | 71 | | (d) The board may not issue a license under this section to |
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| 72 | 72 | | an applicant who: |
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| 73 | 73 | | (1) holds a nursing license or a license to prescribe, |
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| 74 | 74 | | dispense, administer, supply, or sell a controlled substance that: |
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| 75 | 75 | | (A) is currently under active investigation; or |
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| 76 | 76 | | (B) is or was subject to a disciplinary order or |
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| 77 | 77 | | action or to denial by another jurisdiction; or |
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| 78 | 78 | | (2) has been convicted of, is on deferred adjudication |
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| 79 | 79 | | community supervision or deferred disposition for, or is under |
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| 80 | 80 | | active investigation for the commission of: |
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| 81 | 81 | | (A) a felony; or |
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| 82 | 82 | | (B) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude. |
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| 83 | 83 | | (e) A nurse licensed under this section may practice only |
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| 84 | 84 | | in: |
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| 85 | 85 | | (1) a health professional shortage area, as defined by |
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| 86 | 86 | | Section 157.051; or |
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| 87 | 87 | | (2) a medically underserved community, as defined by |
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| 88 | 88 | | Section 487.201, Government Code. |
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| 89 | 89 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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