By Woolley, Brimer                                    H.B. No. 3038

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to medical review under the workers' compensation system.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 413.006, Labor Code, is amended to read

 1-5     as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 413.006.  ADVISORY COMMITTEES.  (a)  The commission may

 1-7     appoint ad hoc medical advisory committees [in addition to the

 1-8     medical advisory committee] as it considers necessary.  An ad hoc

 1-9     medical advisory committee must include at least one doctor who

1-10     practices in each type of practice included in the subject matter

1-11     for which the advisory committee is appointed.

1-12           (b)  In the review and revision of medical policies and fee

1-13     guidelines under Section 413.012, the commission shall appoint and

1-14     consider the recommendations of one or more ad hoc medical advisory

1-15     committees.

1-16           SECTION 2.  Section 413.005, Labor Code, is repealed.

1-17           SECTION 3.  The medical advisory committee to the Texas

1-18     Workers' Compensation Commission is abolished on the effective date

1-19     of this Act.  All property and records belonging to the state that

1-20     are in the possession of that advisory committee on the day before

1-21     the effective date of this Act shall be transferred to the Texas

1-22     Workers' Compensation Commission not later than the 30th day after

1-23     the effective date of this Act.

1-24           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-5     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-6     passage, and it is so enacted.