By Harris                                              S.B. No. 468
         76R4727 DLF-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to licensing requirements for certain persons providing
 1-3     abortion services.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 245.004.  EXEMPTIONS FROM LICENSING REQUIREMENT.  The
 1-8     following facilities need not be licensed under this chapter:
 1-9                 (1)  a hospital licensed under Chapter 241 (Texas
1-10     Hospital Licensing Law); or
1-11                 (2)  the office of a physician licensed under the
1-12     Medical Practice Act (Article 4495b, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-13     Statutes), unless 10 or more abortion procedures are performed in
1-14     the office in a year [is used primarily for the purpose of
1-15     performing abortions].
1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-17           SECTION 3.  The office of a physician that is exempt from the
1-18     licensing requirement of Chapter 245, Health and Safety Code, under
1-19     Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, as it existed immediately
1-20     before the effective date of this Act, but that is required to be
1-21     licensed under Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, as amended
1-22     by this Act, is not required to be licensed before January 1, 2000.
1-23           SECTION 4.  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.