HBA-RBT S.B. 524 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 524 By: Moncrief Public Health 4/15/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a consumer can call the Board of Dental Examiners (board) to find out if any disciplinary action has been taken against a dentist. However, a consumer is not eligible to receive information regarding letters of warning. S.B. 524 permits disclosure of warning letters. 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 Article 4548h, V.T.C.S. (Subsection (a), Section 2, Acts of the 45th Legislature, Regular Session, 1937), to include a warning letter among the disciplinary actions available to the Board of Dental Examiners (board). SECTION 2. Amends Section 2, Article 4549, V.T.C.S., to make conforming changes. SECTION 3. Amends Section 2, Article 4550, V.T.C.S., to provide that board records regarding disciplinary actions of the board are not confidential, including investigation files and records of the revocation or suspension of a license, the imposition of a fine on a license holder, the placement on probation with conditions of a license holder whose license has been suspended, the reprimand of a license holder, or the issuance of warning letter to a license holder. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.