HBA-NRS H.B. 2942 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2942 By: Capelo Public Health 3/23/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law provides that practicing medicine without an annual registration receipt for the current year has the same effect, and is subject to all penalties of, practicing medicine without a license. Current law also provides that a physician is allowed a 30-day grace period for payment of the annual registration fee from the date of the expiration of the license. Current law is inconsistent regarding whether a physician who does not pay the annual registration fee by the expiration date, but does pay the fee within the 30-day grace period is or is not practicing without a license during that period. This inconsistency creates problems for hospitals and other health care entities involved in credentialing physicians. Physicians who have not paid the annual registration fee in time to allow for the posting of the fee and updating of the new expiration date of the registration, may be considered to have an expired registration. House Bill 2942 seeks to clarify current law by providing that a physician is not considered to be practicing medicine without a license during the 30-day grace period. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 2942 amends the Occupations Code to provide that practicing medicine without an annual registration receipt for the current year 30 days after the expiration of the previous year has the same effect as, and is subject to all penalties of, practicing medicine without a license. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.