1-1 By: Galloway S.B. No. 653 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 20, 1995; February 21, 1995, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 April 11, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 13, 1-5 Nays 0; April 11, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to fees paid by certain registered professional engineers. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Subsection (d), Section 13, The Texas Engineering 1-11 Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as 1-12 added by Section 1, Chapter 947, Acts of the 71st Legislature, 1-13 Regular Session, 1989, is amended to read as follows: 1-14 (d) The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and 1-15 annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are at least 65 1-16 years of age. 1-17 SECTION 2. Section 13, The Texas Engineering Practice Act 1-18 (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by 1-19 adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: 1-20 (e) The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and 1-21 annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are disabled and 1-22 who are not currently engaged in the active practice of 1-23 engineering. For purposes of this subsection, an individual is 1-24 disabled if the individual has a mental or physical impairment that 1-25 substantially limits the ability of the individual to earn a living 1-26 as a registered engineer, other than an impairment caused by a 1-27 current condition of addiction to the use of alcohol or an illegal 1-28 drug or controlled substance. A registered engineer entitled to 1-29 reduced fees under this subsection because the engineer is not 1-30 engaged in the active practice of engineering shall notify the 1-31 Board of the resumption of active practice not later than the 15th 1-32 day after the engineer resumes active practice. 1-33 SECTION 3. Subsection (c), Section 13B, The Texas 1-34 Engineering Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil 1-35 Statutes), is amended to read as follows: 1-36 (c) Subsection (a) does not apply to a registered 1-37 professional engineer who: 1-38 (1) meets the qualifications for an exemption from 1-39 registration under Section 20(g) or (h) of this Act but who does 1-40 not claim that exemption; or 1-41 (2) is disabled for purposes of Section 13(e) of this 1-42 Act. 1-43 SECTION 4. Subsection (d), Section 13, The Texas Engineering 1-44 Practice Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as 1-45 added by Section 1, Chapter 1090, Acts of the 71st Legislature, 1-46 Regular Session, 1989, is repealed. 1-47 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995, and 1-48 applies to a registration fee, annual renewal fee, or reciprocal 1-49 registration fee paid to the State Board of Registration for 1-50 Professional Engineers that becomes due on or after that date. A 1-51 fee that is collected by the board on or after that date but that 1-52 became due before that date is governed by the law in effect on the 1-53 date that the fee became due, and the former law is continued in 1-54 effect for that purpose. 1-55 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the 1-56 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-57 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-58 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-59 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-60 * * * * *