BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2898 By: J. Harris 04-19-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Since 1991, there have been problems with the maintenance checks required by the Bureau of Radiation Control on dental X-ray equipment. The rules are not clear regarding whether the persons performing the inspections may be authorized by a dentist or fall under the administrative rules of the Texas Board of Licensure for Professional Medical Physicists. PURPOSE H.B. 2898 establishes the authority of dentists to delegate X-ray maintenance checks to qualified persons. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Adds Article 4551o to Chapter 9, Title 71, Revised Statutes, to allow a dentist to authorize a qualified person to perform beam calibration and characterization, quality assurance, instrument specification, acceptance testing, shielding design, or protection analysis on radiation-emitting equipment or radiopharmaceuticals for procedures involved with the diagnosis or treatment of disease or other dental conditions. Establishes that the authorization of these acts by a dentist and the performance of same by a qualified person shall not constitute the practice of medical physics as defined and regulated by the Texas Medical Physics Practice Act, Article 4512n, Revised Statutes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 2898 was considered by the Public Health Committee in a public hearing on April 19, 1995. The following person testified in favor of the bill: Sally Hanners, representing self. The following person testified neutrally on the bill: Ruth E. McBurney, representing Texas Department of Health - Bureau of Radiation Control. The bill was reported favorably without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote of 8 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 PNV, 1 Absent.