By Galloway                                      S.B. No. 288

      75R2070 BEM-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to fees paid by certain registered professional engineers.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 13(d), The Texas Engineering Practice Act

 1-5     (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by Section

 1-6     1, Chapter 947, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session,

 1-7     1989, is amended to read as follows:

 1-8           (d)  The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and

 1-9     annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are at least 65

1-10     years of age.

1-11           SECTION 2.  Section 13, The Texas Engineering Practice Act

1-12     (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by

1-13     adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

1-14           (e)  The Board by rule may adopt reduced registration and

1-15     annual renewal fees for registered engineers who are disabled and

1-16     who are not currently engaged in the active practice of

1-17     engineering.  For purposes of this subsection, an individual is

1-18     "disabled" if the individual has a mental or physical impairment

1-19     that substantially limits the ability of the individual to earn a

1-20     living as a registered engineer, other than an impairment caused by

1-21     a current condition of addiction to the use of alcohol or an

1-22     illegal drug or controlled substance.  A registered engineer

1-23     entitled to reduced fees under this subsection because the engineer

1-24     is not engaged in the active practice of engineering shall notify

 2-1     the Board of the resumption of active practice not later than the

 2-2     15th day after the date the engineer resumes active practice.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  Section 13B(c), The Texas Engineering Practice

 2-4     Act (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to

 2-5     read as follows:

 2-6           (c)  Subsection (a) does not apply to a registered

 2-7     professional engineer who:

 2-8                 (1)  meets the qualifications for an exemption from

 2-9     registration under Section 20(g) or (h) of this Act but who does

2-10     not claim that exemption; or

2-11                 (2)  is disabled for purposes of Section 13(e) of this

2-12     Act.

2-13           SECTION 4.  Section 13(d), The Texas Engineering Practice Act

2-14     (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as added by Section

2-15     1, Chapter 1090, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session,

2-16     1989, is repealed.

2-17           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

2-18     applies to a registration fee, annual renewal fee, or reciprocal

2-19     registration fee paid to the State Board of Registration for

2-20     Professional Engineers that becomes due on or after that date.   A

2-21     fee that is collected by the board on or after that date but that

2-22     became due before that date is governed by the law in effect on the

2-23     date that the fee became due, and the former law is continued in

2-24     effect for that purpose.

2-25           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.