By Galloway                                            S.B. No. 653
       74R6145 PB-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to fees paid by certain registered professional engineers.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 13(d), The Texas Engineering Practice Act
    1-5  (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by Section
    1-6  1, Chapter 947, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session,
    1-7  1989, is amended to read as follows:
    1-8        (d)  The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and
    1-9  annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are at least 65
   1-10  years of age.
   1-11        SECTION 2.  Section 13, The Texas Engineering Practice Act
   1-12  (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by
   1-13  adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
   1-14        (e)  The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and
   1-15  annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are disabled and
   1-16  who are not currently engaged in the active practice of
   1-17  engineering.  For purposes of this subsection, an individual is
   1-18  "disabled" if the individual has a mental or physical impairment
   1-19  that substantially limits the ability of the individual to earn a
   1-20  living as a registered engineer, other than an impairment caused by
   1-21  a current condition of addiction to the use of alcohol or an
   1-22  illegal drug or controlled substance.  A registered engineer
   1-23  entitled to reduced fees under this subsection because the engineer
   1-24  is not engaged in the active practice of engineering shall notify
    2-1  the Board of the resumption of active practice not later than the
    2-2  15th day after the engineer resumes active practice.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  Section 13B(c), The Texas Engineering Practice
    2-4  Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to
    2-5  read as follows:
    2-6        (c)  Subsection (a) does not apply to a registered
    2-7  professional engineer who:
    2-8              (1)  meets the qualifications for an exemption from
    2-9  registration under Section 20(g) or (h) of this Act but who does
   2-10  not claim that exemption; or
   2-11              (2)  is disabled for purposes of Section 13(e) of this
   2-12  Act.
   2-13        SECTION 4.  Section 13(d), The Texas Engineering Practice Act
   2-14  (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by Section
   2-15  1, Chapter 1090, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session,
   2-16  1989, is repealed.
   2-17        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and
   2-18  applies to a registration fee, annual renewal fee, or reciprocal
   2-19  registration fee paid to the State Board of Registration for
   2-20  Professional Engineers that becomes due on or after that date.   A
   2-21  fee that is collected by the board on or after that date but that
   2-22  became due before that date is governed by the law in effect on the
   2-23  date that the fee became due, and the former law is continued in
   2-24  effect for that purpose.
   2-25        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-26  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-27  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-1  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-2  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.