By Seaman                                             H.B. No. 2641

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the funding of certain peer assistance programs.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 467.004, Health and

 1-5     Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (a)  Except as provided by Section 467.0041(b), a [A]

 1-7     licensing or disciplinary authority may add a surcharge of not more

 1-8     than $5 to its license or license renewal fee to fund an approved

 1-9     peer assistance program.  The authority must adopt the surcharge in

1-10     accordance with the procedure that the authority uses to initiate

1-11     and adopt an increase in its license or license renewal fee.

1-12           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 467.0041, Health and

1-13     Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

1-14           (b)  The board may add a surcharge of not more than $10 [$5]

1-15     to its license or license renewal fee to fund an approved peer

1-16     assistance program.

1-17           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-18           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.