By:  Madla                                            S.B. No. 1097
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to granting licensed psychologists membership or
    1-2  privileges on the staff of a hospital or private mental hospital or
    1-3  other mental health facility; and declaring an emergency.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 241, Health and Safety Code, is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 241.1021 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 241.1021.  AUTHORIZATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION
    1-8  TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.  (a)  An applicant for medical staff membership
    1-9  may not be denied membership solely on the ground that the
   1-10  applicant is a psychologist.
   1-11        (b)  A psychologist on the medical staff may not be denied
   1-12  clinical privileges, within the scope of his/her license, solely on
   1-13  the grounds that he/she is a psychologist.
   1-14        (c)  This chapter does not authorize a psychologist to
   1-15  perform acts that are beyond the scope of his/her respective
   1-16  license.
   1-17        (d)  This chapter does not prevent the governing body of a
   1-18  hospital from providing that a physician be responsible for the
   1-19  care of any medical problem or condition, if any, of a patient
   1-20  admitted by a psychologist.
   1-21        (e)  This chapter does not automatically entitle a
   1-22  psychologist to membership or privileges on a medical staff.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  Chapter 577, Health and Safety Code, is amended
    2-1  by adding Section 577.0081 to read as follows:
    2-2        Sec. 577.0081.  AUTHORIZATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION
    2-3  TO PSYCHOLOGISTS.
    2-4        (a)  An applicant for medical staff membership may not be
    2-5  denied membership solely on the ground that the applicant is a
    2-6  psychologist.
    2-7        (b)  A psychologist on the medical staff may not be denied
    2-8  clinical privileges, within the scope of his/her license, solely on
    2-9  the grounds that he/she is a psychologist.
   2-10        (c)  This chapter does not authorize a psychologist to
   2-11  perform acts that are beyond the scope of his/her respective
   2-12  license.
   2-13        (d)  This chapter does not prevent the governing body of a
   2-14  private mental hospital from providing that a physician be
   2-15  responsible for the care of any medical problem or condition, if
   2-16  any, of a patient admitted by a psychologist.
   2-17        (e)  This chapter does not automatically entitle a
   2-18  psychologist to membership or privileges on a medical staff.
   2-19        SECTION 3.  EMERGENCY CLAUSE.  The importance of this
   2-20  legislation and the crowded condition of the calendars in both
   2-21  houses create an emergency and an imperative public necessity that
   2-22  the constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-23  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.