1-1     By:  Pitts (Senate Sponsor - Nelson)                   H.B. No. 573
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House March 24, 1999;
 1-3     March 25, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     Services; April 28, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 28, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the continuing education requirements for certain
 1-9     medical professionals.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Medical Practice Act (Article
1-12     4495b, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section
1-13     3.026 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 3.026.  CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR CERTAIN
1-15     VOLUNTEER MEDICAL SERVICES.  (a)  In this section, "a site serving
1-16     a medically underserved  population" has the meaning assigned by
1-17     Section 3.06 of this Act.
1-18           (b)  The board by rule shall permit a license holder to
1-19     complete half of any informal continuing medical education hours
1-20     required under Section 3.025 of this Act by providing volunteer
1-21     medical services at a site serving a medically underserved
1-22     population other than a site that is a primary practice site of the
1-23     license holder.
1-24           SECTION 2.  The Physician Assistant Licensing Act (Article
1-25     4495b-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding
1-26     Section 10A to read as follows:
1-27           Sec. 10A.  CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT FOR CERTAIN VOLUNTEER
1-28     MEDICAL SERVICES.  (a)  In this section, "a site serving a
1-29     medically underserved  population" has the meaning assigned by
1-30     Section 3.06, Medical Practice Act (Article 4495b, Vernon's Texas
1-31     Civil Statutes).
1-32           (b)  The board by rule shall permit a license holder to
1-33     complete half of any informal continuing medical education hours
1-34     required to renew a license under this Act by  providing volunteer
1-35     medical services at a site serving a medically underserved
1-36     population other than at a site that is a primary practice site of
1-37     the license holder.
1-38           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-39           (b)  An entity required to adopt rules under this Act shall
1-40     adopt rules required by this Act not later than January 1, 2000.
1-41           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-42     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-43     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-44     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-45     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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