By:  Armbrister                                        S.B. No. 137
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the continuing education of plumbers.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  The Plumbing License Law (Article 6243-101,
    1-4  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding Section 12B to
    1-5  read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 12B.  CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.  (a)  A person
    1-7  holding a license under this Act must complete at least six hours
    1-8  of continuing professional education each license year.  Three of
    1-9  the six hours required must be in the subjects of health
   1-10  protection, energy conservation, and water conservation.
   1-11        (b)  The Board by rule shall adopt the criteria for
   1-12  continuing professional education acceptable under this section.
   1-13        (c)  For a person to receive credit for participation in a
   1-14  continuing professional education program or course, the program or
   1-15  course must have been provided according to the criteria adopted by
   1-16  the Board by an individual, business, or association approved by
   1-17  the Board.
   1-18        (d)  A person holding a license under this Act who lives in a
   1-19  county having no city with a population in excess of 100,000 may
   1-20  fulfill the continuing professional education requirement of this
   1-21  section through a correspondence course.
   1-22        (e)  The Board by rule may adopt exemptions from the
   1-23  requirements of this section for certain persons holding a license
   1-24  under this Act if the Board finds that exempting these persons from
    2-1  the continuing education requirements of this Act is in the public
    2-2  interest.
    2-3        SECTION 2.  Subsections (b), (c), and (d), Section 12, The
    2-4  Plumbing License Law (Article 6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil
    2-5  Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
    2-6        (b)  A person who has complied with the continuing education
    2-7  requirement of Section 12B of this Act may renew an unexpired
    2-8  license by paying the required renewal fee to the Board before the
    2-9  expiration date of the license.
   2-10        (c)  A person who has complied with the continuing education
   2-11  requirement of Section 12B of this Act and whose <if a person's>
   2-12  license has been expired for 90 days or less<, the person> may
   2-13  renew the license by paying to the Board the required renewal fee
   2-14  and a fee that is one-half of the examination fee for the license.
   2-15        (d)  A person who has complied with the continuing education
   2-16  requirement of Section 12B of this Act and whose <If a person's>
   2-17  license has been expired for longer than 90 days but less than two
   2-18  years<, the person> may renew the license by paying to the Board
   2-19  all unpaid renewal fees and a fee that is equal to the examination
   2-20  fee for the license.
   2-21        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
   2-22  applies only to the renewal of a license after August 31, 1994.
   2-23  The renewal of a license before September 1, 1993, is governed by
   2-24  the law in effect immediately before September 1, 1993, and the
   2-25  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
   2-26        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-27  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-1  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-2  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-3  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    3-4  and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
    3-5  terms, and it is so enacted.