By:  Barrientos                              S.B. No. 1883

         97S0457/1                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the time period for determining maximum medical

 1-2     improvement under the workers' compensation law.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subdivision (30), Section 401.011, Labor Code, is

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6                 (30)  "Maximum medical improvement" means [the earlier

 1-7     of:]

 1-8                       [(A)]  the earliest date after which, based on

 1-9     reasonable medical probability, further material recovery from or

1-10     lasting improvement to an injury can no longer reasonably be

1-11     anticipated[; or]

1-12                       [(B)  the expiration of 104 weeks from the date

1-13     on which income benefits begin to accrue].

1-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect on September 1, 1997.

1-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.