By West                                                H.B. No. 429
         77R1604 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the use of titles by certain individuals engaged in
 1-3     practice as safety professionals; providing a civil penalty.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the Safety
 1-6     Professional Title Recognition Act.
 1-7           SECTION 2.  PURPOSE. This Act recognizes the certification of
 1-8     safety professionals and provides assurance to the public that an
 1-9     individual who is employed as a safety professional and who
1-10     represents that the individual is a safety professional is
1-11     minimally qualified to protect the public health and safety.
1-12           SECTION 3.  BOARD; RESTRICTION ON TITLE USE. (a)  The Board
1-13     of Certified Safety Professionals is a nonprofit corporation that
1-14     has been established to improve the practice and educational
1-15     standards of the profession of safety by certifying individuals as:
1-16                 (1)  associate safety professionals;
1-17                 (2)  certified safety professionals;
1-18                 (3)  construction health and safety technicians;
1-19                 (4)  occupational health and safety technologists; and
1-20                 (5)  safety-trained supervisors.
1-21           (b)  An individual may not use the title of "associate safety
1-22     professional," "ASP,"  "certified safety professional,"  "CSP,"
1-23     "construction health and safety technician," "CHST,"  "occupational
1-24     health and safety technologist,"  "OHST," "safety-trained
 2-1     supervisor," or "STS" unless the individual is certified as an
 2-2     "associate safety professional,"  "certified safety professional,"
 2-3     "construction health and safety technician," "occupational health
 2-4     and safety technologist," or "safety-trained supervisor," as
 2-5     appropriate, by the board at the time the title is used.
 2-6           SECTION 4.  CIVIL PENALTY. (a)  A violation of Section 3 of
 2-7     this Act is punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $1,000.
 2-8           (b)  The attorney general may bring an action to collect the
 2-9     penalty.
2-10           (c)  A penalty collected under this section shall be
2-11     deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund.
2-12           SECTION 5.  EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
2-13     1, 2001.