| 1 | 1 | | By: Campbell S.B. No. 2480 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating the administration of the Texas Physician Health Program; |
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| 8 | 8 | | the disciplinary authority of the Texas Medical Board; imposing a |
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| 9 | 9 | | surcharge. |
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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. Subchapter B, Chapter 153, Occupations Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 153.053 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 153.053. SURCHARGE TO ADMINISTER TEXAS PHYSICIAN |
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| 14 | 14 | | HEALTH PROGRAM. (a) The board shall collect an additional |
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| 15 | 15 | | surcharge not to exceed $15 for each of the following fees: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) first registration permit; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) renewal of a registration permit. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The board shall deposit each surcharge collected under |
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| 19 | 19 | | this section to the credit of the Texas physician health program |
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| 20 | 20 | | account. The Texas physician health program account is a special |
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| 21 | 21 | | account in the general revenue fund. Money in the special account |
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| 22 | 22 | | shall be appropriated only to the board to pay for administration of |
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| 23 | 23 | | the Texas Physician Health Program under Chapter 167, including |
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| 24 | 24 | | paying for an initial evaluation by the program's medical director |
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| 25 | 25 | | or the director's designee. Money in the special account may not be |
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| 26 | 26 | | used to pay for program participant costs incurred for monitoring |
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| 27 | 27 | | or for a program participant's own medical costs, including any |
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| 28 | 28 | | further required evaluations, primary treatment, or continuing |
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| 29 | 29 | | care. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) The board is authorized to collect the surcharge |
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| 31 | 31 | | established in (a) for all individuals licensed and regulated by |
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| 32 | 32 | | the board including all advisory boards and committees under this |
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| 33 | 33 | | title. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 153, Occupations Code, is |
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| 35 | 35 | | amended by adding Section 153.055 to read as follows: |
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| 36 | 36 | | Sec. 153.055. SURCHARGE FOR CERTAIN SEARCHES RELATED TO |
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| 37 | 37 | | LICENSE STATUS. (a) The board shall set and collect an additional |
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| 38 | 38 | | surcharge to cover the cost of administering a continuous query on |
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| 39 | 39 | | the National Practitioner Data Bank as required by Section |
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| 40 | 40 | | 154.006(m). The surcharge shall be collected from each license |
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| 41 | 41 | | holder for: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) issuance of a first registration permit; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) renewal of a registration permit. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) The board shall deposit each surcharge collected under |
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| 45 | 45 | | this section to the credit of the public assurance account |
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| 46 | 46 | | described by Section 153.0535(b). |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) The board is authorized to collect the surcharge |
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| 48 | 48 | | established in (a) for all individuals licensed and regulated by |
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| 49 | 49 | | the board including all advisory boards and committees under this |
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| 50 | 50 | | title. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 52 | 52 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 53 | 53 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 54 | 54 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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