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.