By Van de Putte                                        H.B. No. 970
         76R4279 JMM-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the application of certain rules of the Texas State
 1-3     Board of Pharmacy to certain pharmacy pilot and demonstration
 1-4     projects.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 17(v), Texas Pharmacy Act (Article
 1-7     4542a-1, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
 1-8     follows:
 1-9           (v)  The board may approve pilot and demonstration research
1-10     projects for innovative applications in the practice of pharmacy.
1-11     The board shall specify the procedures to be followed in applying
1-12     for approval of such a project.  The approval may include the
1-13     granting of an exception to rules adopted under this Act.  The
1-14     board may extend the time an exception to a rule is granted as
1-15     necessary for the board to adopt an amendment or modification of
1-16     the rule.  The board may condition approval of a project on
1-17     compliance with this subsection and rules adopted under this
1-18     subsection.  This subsection shall not be construed to expand the
1-19     definition of pharmacy as provided in this Act.  Demonstration
1-20     projects shall not include therapeutic substitution or substitution
1-21     of medical devices used in patient care.
1-22           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-23           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.