| 1 | 1 | | 88R13416 SCP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hayes H.B. No. 3082 |
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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 a pharmacy, pharmacist, or pharmacy technician decision |
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| 8 | 8 | | to not dispense or sell a drug according to religious belief or |
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| 9 | 9 | | moral conviction. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 551.006, Occupations Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 551.006. PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND MORAL |
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| 14 | 14 | | CONVICTIONS [EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY]. (a) The board may not reduce, |
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| 15 | 15 | | withhold, exclude, terminate, or otherwise deny any license, |
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| 16 | 16 | | registration, or accreditation for, any grant to, or any contract |
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| 17 | 17 | | or agreement with a pharmacy, pharmacist, or pharmacy technician |
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| 18 | 18 | | for not dispensing or selling a specific drug or product in |
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| 19 | 19 | | accordance with the person's sincerely held religious belief or |
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| 20 | 20 | | moral conviction. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The attorney general may bring an action for injunctive |
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| 22 | 22 | | or declaratory relief against the board to enforce compliance with |
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| 23 | 23 | | this section [Notwithstanding any other law, a pharmacist has the |
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| 24 | 24 | | exclusive authority to determine whether or not to dispense a |
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| 25 | 25 | | drug]. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 27 | 27 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 28 | 28 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 29 | 29 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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