Amend HB 1391 by striking everything below the enacting
clause and substituting the following:
      SECTION 1.  Section 4B, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Contractor License Law (Article 8861, Vernon's Texas Civil
Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
      Sec. 4B.  CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS <PROGRAMS>.  (a)
The commissioner by rule shall <may> recognize or adopt<, prepare,
or administer> continuing education programs for licensees.
Participation in the programs is mandatory for renewal of a license
issued under this Act <voluntary>.
      (b)  A license holder is not required to participate in
continuing education until the second anniversary of the date the
license holder was initially licensed under this Act.  A license
holder required to participate in continuing education must
annually provide proof to the commissioner that the license holder
in the preceding year has attended six classroom hours of
continuing education courses approved by the commissioner.
      (c)  The commissioner may permit the substitution of relevant
education experience to comply with the requirements of this
section.  The substituted experience must be approved by the
commissioner.  For purposes of this section, relevant education
experience includes participation in correspondence courses,
manufacturer training, trade association workshops or seminars,
chapter meetings, and supervised video instruction.
      (d)  Three hours of continuing education courses or relevant
education experience approved by the commissioner shall cover
technical, safety, or environmental aspects of air conditioning and
refrigeration contracting.
      (e)  The commissioner may not require an examination under
this section except for approval of a correspondence course.
      (f)  The commission shall adopt fees for continuing education
providers in amounts reasonable and necessary to administer this
section.
      (g)  A person seeking to provide a continuing education
program must meet the requirements adopted by rule of the
commissioner.  An applicant that meets the requirements and that is
approved by the commissioner may provide continuing education
programs until the second anniversary of the date the provider's
application was approved.  A provider may reapply to the
commissioner to act as a provider for additional two-year periods.
      SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
      (b)  The commissioner of licensing and regulation shall adopt
rules and the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation shall
adopt fees under this Act not later than January 1, 1998.
      (c)  Notwithstanding Section 4B(b), Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration Contractor License Law (Article 8861, Vernon's Texas
Civil Statutes), as added by this Act, a person who holds a license
under that Act on the effective date of this Act is not required to
fulfill continuing education required under that section to renew
the license before September 1, 1999.
      SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby
suspended.