HBA-NMO H.B. 748 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 748 By: Van de Putte Public Health 3/5/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Controlled Substances Act, Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, requires a dispensing pharmacist completing an official prescription form to submit required information to the director of the Department of Public Safety (director) no later than the 30th day after the prescription is completed. Information is submitted by electronic transfer, a universal claim form, or another approved form. Pharmacists have experienced difficulty in the proper transmission of data. H.B. 748 requires a dispensing pharmacist to send all required information to the director by electronic transfer. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 485.075(i), Health and Safety Code, to require each dispensing pharmacist to send to the director of the Department of Public Safety by electronic transfer all information required by the director, rather than the option of transferring information electronically or by other means. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.