By:  Armbrister                                        S.B. No. 137
       73R93 JMM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the continuing education of plumbers.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  The Plumbing License Law (Article 6243-101,
    1-5  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding Section 12B to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 12B.  CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION.  (a)  A person
    1-8  holding a license under this Act must complete at least six hours
    1-9  of continuing professional education each license year.  Three of
   1-10  the six hours required must be in the subjects of health
   1-11  protection, energy conservation, and water conservation.
   1-12        (b)  The board by rule shall adopt the criteria for
   1-13  continuing professional education acceptable under this section.
   1-14        (c)  For a person to receive credit for participation in a
   1-15  continuing professional education program or course, the program or
   1-16  course must have been provided according to the criteria adopted by
   1-17  the board by an individual, business, or association approved by
   1-18  the board.
   1-19        (d)  A person holding a license under this Act who lives in a
   1-20  county having no city with a population in excess of 100,000 may
   1-21  fulfill the continuing professional education requirement of this
   1-22  section through a correspondence course.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  Sections 12(b), (c), and (d), The Plumbing
   1-24  License Law (Article 6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), are
    2-1  amended to read as follows:
    2-2        (b)  A person who has complied with the continuing education
    2-3  requirement of Section 12B of this Act may renew an unexpired
    2-4  license by paying the required renewal fee to the Board before the
    2-5  expiration date of the license.
    2-6        (c)  A person who has complied with the continuing education
    2-7  requirement of Section 12B of this Act and whose <If a person's>
    2-8  license has been expired for 90 days or less<, the person> may
    2-9  renew the license by paying to the Board the required renewal fee
   2-10  and a fee that is one-half of the examination fee for the license.
   2-11        (d)  A person who has complied with the continuing education
   2-12  requirement of Section 12B of this Act and whose <If a person's>
   2-13  license has been expired for longer than 90 days but less than two
   2-14  years<, the person> may renew the license by paying to the Board
   2-15  all unpaid renewal fees and a fee that is equal to the examination
   2-16  fee for the license.
   2-17        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect March 1, 1992, and applies
   2-18  only to the renewal of a license after February 28, 1993.  The
   2-19  renewal of a license before March 1, 1993, is governed by the law
   2-20  in effect immediately before March 1, 1992, and the former law is
   2-21  continued in effect for that purpose.
   2-22        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-23  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-24  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-25  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-26  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-27  and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
    3-1  terms, and it is so enacted.