1-1     By:  Berlanga (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister)           H.B. No. 2573

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 1997;

 1-3     April 29, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health

 1-4     and Human Services; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to fees assessed for the regulation of athletic trainers

 1-9     and the audit of certain financial transactions regarding that

1-10     regulation.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 7, Chapter 498, Acts of the 62nd

1-13     Legislature, Regular Session, 1971 (Article 4512d, Vernon's  Texas

1-14     Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 7.  FEES; AUDIT.   (a)  After consultation with the

1-16     commissioner  or the department, the [The] board by rule shall

1-17     [may] set [and charge license and examination] fees under this Act

1-18     in amounts that are reasonable and necessary to collect sufficient

1-19     revenue to cover the costs of administration of this Act.

1-20           (b)  The department shall receive and account for [board may

1-21     not set and charge] fees received under this Act.  The department

1-22     shall transmit the fees to the comptroller for deposit in a special

1-23     account in the general revenue fund designated as the licensed

1-24     athletic trainers account.  Money in the account may be used only

1-25     for the administration of this Act [that exceed:]

1-26                 [(1)  an athletic trainer examination fee of $50 for

1-27     each examination taken;]

1-28                 [(2)  an athletic trainer license fee of $50; and]

1-29                 [(3)  an athletic trainer annual license renewal fee of

1-30     $40].

1-31           (c)  The department shall file annually with the governor and

1-32     the presiding officer of each house of the legislature a complete

1-33     and detailed written report accounting for all funds received and

1-34     disbursed by the board or the department during the preceding

1-35     fiscal year.  The annual report must be in the form and reported in

1-36     the time provided by the General Appropriations Act.

1-37           (d)  The financial transactions of the board or department

1-38     under this Act are subject to audit by the state auditor in

1-39     accordance with Chapter 321, Government Code.

1-40           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-41           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-42     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-43     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-44     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-45     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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