1-1     By:  Harris, Ogden                                     S.B. No. 468
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 10, 1999; February 15, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Human Services;
 1-4     March 4, 1999, reported favorably, as amended, by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 4, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                              By:  Bernsen
 1-7     Amend S.B. 468 as follows:
 1-8     On page 1, line 22, strike "10" and substitute "300".
 1-9                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-10                                   AN ACT
1-11     relating to licensing requirements for certain persons providing
1-12     abortion services.
1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14           SECTION 1.  Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, is
1-15     amended to read as follows:
1-16           Sec. 245.004.  EXEMPTIONS FROM LICENSING REQUIREMENT.  The
1-17     following facilities need not be licensed under this chapter:
1-18                 (1)  a hospital licensed under Chapter 241 (Texas
1-19     Hospital Licensing Law); or
1-20                 (2)  the office of a physician licensed under the
1-21     Medical Practice Act (Article 4495b, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-22     Statutes), unless 10 or more abortion procedures are performed in
1-23     the office in a year [is used primarily for the purpose of
1-24     performing abortions].
1-25           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-26           SECTION 3.  The office of a physician that is exempt from the
1-27     licensing requirement of Chapter 245, Health and Safety Code, under
1-28     Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, as it existed immediately
1-29     before the effective date of this Act, but that is required to be
1-30     licensed under Section 245.004, Health and Safety Code, as amended
1-31     by this Act, is not required to be licensed before January 1, 2000.
1-32           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-33     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-34     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-35     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-36     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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