1-1 By: Edwards (Senate Sponsor - Bernsen) H.B. No. 1651
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2001;
1-3 April 30, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
1-4 and Human Services; May 8, 2001, reported favorably by the
1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the authority of optometrists and therapeutic
1-9 optometrists to form certain professional associations.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 2(A), Texas Professional Association Act
1-12 (Article 1528f, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read
1-13 as follows:
1-14 (A) Formation. Any one or more persons duly licensed to
1-15 practice a profession, including podiatry, [or] dentistry, or
1-16 optometry or therapeutic optometry, under the laws of this state
1-17 may, by complying with this Act, form a professional association,
1-18 as distinguished from either a partnership or a corporation, by
1-19 associating themselves for the purpose of performing professional
1-20 services and dividing the gains therefrom as stated in articles of
1-21 association or bylaws.
1-22 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-23 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-24 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
1-25 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-26 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-27 * * * * *