By: Galloway S.B. No. 653 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to fees paid by certain registered professional engineers. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. Subsection (d), Section 13, The Texas Engineering 1-4 Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as 1-5 added by Section 1, Chapter 947, Acts of the 71st Legislature, 1-6 Regular Session, 1989, is amended to read as follows: 1-7 (d) The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and 1-8 annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are at least 65 1-9 years of age. 1-10 SECTION 2. Section 13, The Texas Engineering Practice Act 1-11 (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by 1-12 adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: 1-13 (e) The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and 1-14 annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are disabled and 1-15 who are not currently engaged in the active practice of 1-16 engineering. For purposes of this subsection, an individual is 1-17 disabled if the individual has a mental or physical impairment that 1-18 substantially limits the ability of the individual to earn a living 1-19 as a registered engineer, other than an impairment caused by a 1-20 current condition of addiction to the use of alcohol or an illegal 1-21 drug or controlled substance. A registered engineer entitled to 1-22 reduced fees under this subsection because the engineer is not 1-23 engaged in the active practice of engineering shall notify the 1-24 Board of the resumption of active practice not later than the 15th 2-1 day after the engineer resumes active practice. 2-2 SECTION 3. Subsection (c), Section 13B, The Texas 2-3 Engineering Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil 2-4 Statutes), is amended to read as follows: 2-5 (c) Subsection (a) does not apply to a registered 2-6 professional engineer who: 2-7 (1) meets the qualifications for an exemption from 2-8 registration under Section 20(g) or (h) of this Act but who does 2-9 not claim that exemption; or 2-10 (2) is disabled for purposes of Section 13(e) of this 2-11 Act. 2-12 SECTION 4. Subsection (d), Section 13, The Texas Engineering 2-13 Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as 2-14 added by Section 1, Chapter 1090, Acts of the 71st Legislature, 2-15 Regular Session, 1989, is repealed. 2-16 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and 2-17 applies to a registration fee, annual renewal fee, or reciprocal 2-18 registration fee paid to the State Board of Registration for 2-19 Professional Engineers that becomes due on or after that date. A 2-20 fee that is collected by the board on or after that date but that 2-21 became due before that date is governed by the law in effect on the 2-22 date that the fee became due, and the former law is continued in 2-23 effect for that purpose. 2-24 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the 2-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.