By:  Nelson                                           S.B. No. 1235
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the use of a medical practitioner's Federal Drug
 1-2     Enforcement Administration number; creating an offense.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 481.003, Health and Safety Code, is
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 481.003.  RULES.  (a)  The director may adopt rules to
 1-7     administer and enforce this chapter.
 1-8           (b)  The director by rule shall prohibit a person in this
 1-9     state, including a person regulated by the Texas Department of
1-10     Insurance under the Insurance Code or the other insurance laws of
1-11     this state, from using a practitioner's Federal Drug Enforcement
1-12     Administration number for a purpose other than a purpose described
1-13     by federal law or by this chapter.  A person who violates a rule
1-14     adopted under this subsection commits a Class C misdemeanor.
1-15           SECTION 2.  The director of the Department of Public Safety
1-16     of the State of Texas shall adopt the rules required by Section
1-17     481.003, Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act, not later
1-18     than January 1, 2000.
1-19           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-20           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.