S.B. No. 965
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to hospital staff membership and privileges for
    1-2  physicians, podiatrists, and dentists.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 241.101, Health and Safety Code, is
    1-5  amended by amending Subsection (c) and by adding Subsections (e),
    1-6  (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
    1-7        (c)  The process for considering applications for medical
    1-8  staff membership and privileges must afford each physician,
    1-9  podiatrist, and dentist <applicant> procedural due process.
   1-10        (e)  A hospital's bylaw requirements for staff privileges may
   1-11  require a physician, podiatrist, or dentist to document the
   1-12  person's current clinical competency and professional training and
   1-13  experience in the medical procedures for which privileges are
   1-14  requested.
   1-15        (f)  In granting or refusing medical staff membership or
   1-16  privileges, a hospital may not differentiate on the basis of the
   1-17  academic medical degree held by a physician.
   1-18        (g)  Graduate medical education may be used as a standard or
   1-19  qualification for medical staff membership or privileges for a
   1-20  physician, provided that equal recognition is given to training
   1-21  programs accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate
   1-22  Medical Education and by the American Osteopathic Association.
   1-23        (h)  Board certification may be used as a standard or
   1-24  qualification for medical staff membership or privileges for a
    2-1  physician, provided that equal recognition is given to
    2-2  certification programs approved by the American Board of Medical
    2-3  Specialties and the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists.
    2-4        (i)  A hospital's credentials committee shall act
    2-5  expeditiously and without unnecessary delay when a licensed
    2-6  physician, podiatrist, or dentist submits a completed application
    2-7  for medical staff membership or privileges.  The hospital's
    2-8  credentials committee shall take action on the completed
    2-9  application not later than the 90th day after the date on which the
   2-10  application is received.  The governing body of the hospital shall
   2-11  take final action on the application for medical staff membership
   2-12  or privileges not later than the 60th day after the date on which
   2-13  the recommendation of the credentials committee is received.  The
   2-14  hospital must notify the applicant in writing of the hospital's
   2-15  final action, including a reason for denial or restriction of
   2-16  privileges, not later than the 20th day after the date on which
   2-17  final action is taken.
   2-18        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-23  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-24  passage, and it is so enacted.