1-1     By:  Nelson                                            S.B. No. 556
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 17, 1999; February 18, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Health Services;
 1-4     March 4, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 4, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to referrals to occupational therapists.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 27, Occupational Therapy Practice Act
1-11     (Article 8851, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read
1-12     as follows:
1-13           Sec. 27.  PRACTITIONER'S [PHYSICIAN'S] REFERRAL.  An
1-14     occupational therapist may enter a case for the purposes of
1-15     providing consultation and monitored services and evaluating an
1-16     individual for the need of services.  Implementation of direct
1-17     occupational therapy to individuals for their specific health care
1-18     [medical] conditions shall be based on a referral from a physician
1-19     licensed by a state board of medical examiners, a dentist licensed
1-20     by a state board of dental examiners, a chiropractor licensed by a
1-21     state board of chiropractic examiners, a podiatrist licensed by a
1-22     state board of podiatric medical examiners, or any other qualified,
1-23     licensed health care professional who within the scope of the
1-24     professional's licensure is authorized to refer for health care
1-25     services. The professional taking an action under this section is a
1-26     referring practitioner [to practice in the State of Texas].
1-27           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-28           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-29     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-30     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-31     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-32     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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