By Coleman H.B. No. 2611
75R7408 BEM-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to continuing medical education for physicians.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 3.025(a), Medical Practice Act (Article
1-5 4495b, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
1-6 follows:
1-7 (a) The board by rule shall adopt, monitor, and enforce a
1-8 reporting program for continuing medical education of licensees.
1-9 The board shall adopt and administer rules:
1-10 (1) requiring the number of hours of continuing
1-11 medical education the board determines appropriate as a
1-12 prerequisite to the annual registration of a licensee under this
1-13 Act;
1-14 (2) requiring at least one-half of the hours of
1-15 continuing medical education required under Subdivision (1) of this
1-16 subsection to be approved by the board after taking into account
1-17 the standards of the American Medical Association for its
1-18 Physician's Recognition Award or the American Osteopathic
1-19 Association and permitting the remaining hours to be composed of
1-20 self-study or equivalent self-directed continuing medical education
1-21 according to guidelines determined by the board; [and]
1-22 (3) requiring at least two of the hours of continuing
1-23 medical education required under Subdivision (1) of this subsection
1-24 to be ethics education covering topics that include:
2-1 (A) the treatment of patients having human
2-2 immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
2-3 (B) cross-cultural interaction with patients;
2-4 (C) the avoidance of patient stereotyping; and
2-5 (D) resolution of conflicts; and
2-6 (4) adopting a process to assess a licensee's participation
2-7 in continuing medical education courses.
2-8 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
2-9 to the renewal of a license on or after January 1, 1999.
2-10 (b) The Texas State Board of Medical Examiners shall adopt
2-11 rules under Section 3.025(a), Medical Practice Act (Article 4495b,
2-12 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as amended by this Act, relating to
2-13 ethics education for physicians not later than January 1, 1998.
2-14 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-19 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-20 passage, and it is so enacted.