By Berlanga                                     H.B. No. 2256

      75R5889 GJH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to regulation of the State Board of Dental Examiners and

 1-3     the Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 4A, Chapter 475, Acts of the 52nd

 1-6     Legislature, Regular Session, 1951 (Article 4551e, Vernon's Texas

 1-7     Civil Statutes), is amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding

 1-8     Subsection (e) to read as follows:

 1-9           (c)  The advisory committee shall advise the State Board of

1-10     Dental Examiners on matters relating to dental hygiene.  In order

1-11     to assure that the advisory committee is able to exercise properly

1-12     its advisory powers, the State Board of Dental Examiners shall

1-13     provide the advisory committee with timely notice of all Board

1-14     meetings, copies of all materials relating to licensure

1-15     qualifications and education requirements of dental hygienists that

1-16     are distributed to or produced by the Board, and a copy of the

1-17     minutes of all Board meetings.  In addition, the Board shall not

1-18     adopt any rule relating to the practice of dental hygiene unless

1-19     said proposed rule has been submitted to the advisory committee for

1-20     review and comment at least thirty (30) days prior to the adoption

1-21     of said rule.  The advisory committee shall recommend the language

1-22     of a proposed rule that establishes a licensure qualification or an

1-23     education requirement for dental hygienists.  The Board may approve

1-24     or reject the recommended language.  If the Board rejects the

 2-1     language proposed by the advisory committee, the Board shall

 2-2     provide the advisory committee with reasons why the recommended

 2-3     language was rejected and allow the advisory committee to make

 2-4     additional recommendations concerning the language of the proposed

 2-5     rule.  The Board may adopt a rule establishing qualifications and

 2-6     education requirements of dental hygienists only if the advisory

 2-7     committee recommends the language of the rule.

 2-8           (e) The advisory committee is not subject to Section 8,

 2-9     Article 6252-33, Revised Statutes.

2-10           SECTION 2.  Article 4543b, Revised Statutes, is amended to

2-11     read as follows:

2-12           Art. 4543b.  SUNSET PROVISION.   (a)  The State Board of

2-13     Dental Examiners is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas

2-14     Sunset Act).  Unless continued in existence as provided by that

2-15     chapter, the board is abolished September 1, 2005.

2-16           (b)  The Dental Hygiene Advisory Committee is subject to

2-17     Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act).  That advisory

2-18     committee shall be reviewed when sunset review of the State Board

2-19     of Dental Examiners occurs.

2-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.