HBA-MPM C.S.H.B. 1717 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1717 By: Uresti Public Health 4/10/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law requires the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (board) to develop by rule a process to evaluate and approve continuing education courses for occupational therapists. The outsourcing of this process may enhance the quality of the continuing education courses and reduce the demands on board support staff. C.S.H.B. 1717 authorizes the board to permit license holder peer organizations to evaluate and approve continuing education courses according to the board's established process. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners in SECTION 1 (Section 454.254, Occupations Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1717 amends the Occupations Code to authorize the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (board) in adopting rules to develop a process to evaluate and approve continuing education courses for occupational therapists to authorize license holder peer organizations in Texas to evaluate and approve the courses in accordance with the board's evaluation and approval process. The bill prohibits the board from adopting rules after January 1, 2003. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1717 differs from the original bill by authorizing rather than requiring the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners (board) in adopting rules to develop a process to evaluate and approve continuing education courses as provided in this bill. The substitute prohibits the board from adopting rules after January 1, 2003 whereas the original required the board to adopt rules no later than January 1, 2002.