By Johnson                                            H.B. No. 2527
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the administrative procedures applicable to hearings
    1-3  governing licensing and disciplinary actions.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  The Administrative Procedure and Texas Register
    1-6  Act (Article 6252-13a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended
    1-7  by adding Section 13D to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 13D.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or
    1-9  of Chapter 591, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991
   1-10  (Article 6252-13f, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes):
   1-11        (1)  disciplinary hearings shall be heard before the
   1-12  governing board of the applicable state agency, with the
   1-13  administrative law judge presiding;
   1-14        (2)  if other law prescribes a procedure for the hearing of a
   1-15  disciplinary action, that law prevails to the extent of conflict;
   1-16        (3)  petitions for reinstatement shall be heard before the
   1-17  governing board of the applicable state agency and not before an
   1-18  administrative law judge; and
   1-19        (4)  all costs of an administrative hearing relating to a
   1-20  license holder who is determined to have violated law or rules
   1-21  governing the license holder's conduct shall be assessed against
   1-22  the license holder.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-5  and that is Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-6  passage, and it is so enacted.