HBA-MPA H.B. 573 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 573
By: Pitts
Public Health
3/1/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)




BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, medical professionals are not allowed to count hours spent
volunteering their care services in free clinics toward their informal
continuing education requirement.  This requirement must be met to renew a
license.  C.S.H.B. 573 changes state law to permit a medical license holder
to complete up to half of the informal continuing medical education credit
by providing volunteer medical services at a site serving a medically
underserved population that is not the primary practice site of the license
holder. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated  
to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners in SECTION 1 (Section 3.026,
Article 4495b, V.T.C.S. (Medical Practice Act)), and to the Texas State
Board of Physician Assistant Examiners in SECTION 2  (Section 10A, Article
4495b-1, V.T.C.S. (Physician Assistant Licensing Act)), of this bill.  

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter C, Article 4495b, V.T.C.S. (Medical Practice
Act), by adding Section 3.026, as follows: 

Sec. 3.026.  CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR CERTAIN VOLUNTEER MEDICAL
SERVICES.  Defines "a site serving a medically underserved population."
Requires the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, by rule, to permit a
license holder to complete up to half of the continuing medical education
hours by providing volunteer medical services at a site serving a medically
underserved population that is not the primary practice site of the license
holder. 

SECTION 2.  Amends  Article 4495b-1, V.T.C.S. (Physician Assistant
Licensing Act), by adding Section 10A, as follows: 

Sec. 10A.  CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR CERTAIN VOLUNTEER MEDICAL
SERVICES.  Defines "a site serving a medically underserved population."
Requires the Texas State Board of Physician Assistant Examiners, by rule,
to permit a license holder  to complete up to half of the continuing
medical education hours by providing volunteer medical services at a site
serving a medically underserved population that is not the primary practice
site of the license holder. 

SECTION 3.  (a) Effective date: September 1, 1999.
           
(b) Requires an entity required to adopt rules under this Act to adopt the
rules not later than January 1, 2000. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.


 COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1. In Section 3.026, Article 4495b, V.T.C.S., concerning rules to
be adopted by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, substitutes
"complete" for "earn" and adds "half of any informal" before "continuing
medical education hours."  Substitutes "volunteer" for "free" and adds
"other than a site that is a primary practice site of the license holder." 

SECTION 2.  Makes a conforming change in Section 10A, Article 4495b-1,
V.T.C.S., concerning to rulestobe adopted by the Texas State Board of
Physician Assistant Examiners. 

Deletes a section concerning the Board of Nurse Examiners in the introduced
version.