By Tillery, Lewis of Tarrant, Burnam                   H.B. No. 504
         76R2473 MLS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the definition of a physician qualified to be an expert
 1-3     witness in certain professional malpractice suits.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 14.01, Medical Liability and Insurance
 1-6     Improvement  Act  of Texas  (Article  4590i,  Vernon's  Texas
 1-7     Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as
 1-8     follows:
 1-9           (g)  In this section, "physician" means a person licensed to
1-10     practice medicine in the United States.
1-11           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-12     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-16     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-17     passage, and it is so enacted.