By Fraser                                             S.B. No. 1777
         76R8697 T                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to ancillary medical benefits under workers' compensation.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 408.  Subchapter B, Labor Code is amended
 1-5     by adding Section 408.029 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 408.029.  ANCILLARY SERVICES.  (a)  an employee shall
 1-7     receive all medical services ancillary to the medical treatment
 1-8     provided pursuant to this act at the direction of the employer or
 1-9     the employers' designee.
1-10           (b)  services ancillary to the medical treatment provided
1-11     pursuant to this act shall include the following:
1-12                 all physical and occupational therapy;
1-13                 work hardening and work conditioning;
1-14                 pain management;
1-15                 biofeedback;
1-16                 psychological referrals;
1-17                 functional capacities evaluations;
1-18                 diagnostics in excess of the fee permitted pursuant to
1-19                 medical fee guidelines established by the commission;
1-20                 physician referrals;
1-21                 home health services;
1-22                 durable medical equipment;
1-23                 and such other services as the commission may
1-24                 recognize in rules promulgated consistent with
 2-1                 this act.
 2-2           SECTION 2.  This act takes effect September 1, 1999, and
 2-3     applies to a compensable injury that occurs on or after that
 2-4     effective date.
 2-5           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.