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.