By Crownover                                          H.B. No. 2335
         77R6461 YDB-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the medication or drug testing of racing animals under
 1-3     the Texas Racing Act.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 3.07(d), Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
 1-6     Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (d)  Medication or drug testing performed on a race animal
 1-8     under this Act shall be conducted by the Texas Veterinary Medical
 1-9     Diagnostic Laboratory or by a laboratory operated by or in
1-10     conjunction with or by a private or public agency selected by the
1-11     commission with the approval of the [on a yearly basis by
1-12     competitive bidding submitted to the commission for final approval.
1-13     The commission's decision shall be based on cost and integrity.
1-14     The]  Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory [may aid the
1-15     commission in its selection].  Medication or drug testing performed
1-16     on a human under this Act shall be conducted by a laboratory
1-17     approved by the commission.  Charges for services performed under
1-18     this section shall be forwarded to the commission for approval as
1-19     to the reasonableness of the charges for the services.  Charges may
1-20     include but are not limited to expenses incurred for travel,
1-21     lodging, testing, and processing of test results.  The reasonable
1-22     charges associated with medication or drug testing conducted under
1-23     this Act shall be paid by the association that receives the
1-24     services.  The commission shall adopt rules for the procedures for
 2-1     approving and paying laboratory charges under this section.  On the
 2-2     approval of the charges as reasonable, in relation to industry
 2-3     standards for testing charges, the commission shall forward a copy
 2-4     of the charges to the association that receives the services for
 2-5     immediate payment.
 2-6           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, and
 2-7     applies only to medication or drug testing performed on a racing
 2-8     animal under the Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, Vernon's Texas
 2-9     Civil Statutes) on or after the effective date of this Act.
2-10                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
2-11           Amend the proposed substitute to H.B. No. 2335 in Section 1
2-12     by striking the last sentence of amended Section 3.07(d), Texas
2-13     Racing Act (Article 179e, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) (page 1,
2-14     line 23, through page 2, line 3), and substituting the following:
2-15     The commission shall determine if the laboratory drug testing
2-16     charges are [On the approval of the charges as] reasonable, in
2-17     relation to industry standards [for testing charges], by
2-18     periodically surveying the testing charges of comparable
2-19     laboratories in the United States.  The [the] commission shall
2-20     forward a copy of the approved charges to the association that
2-21     receives the services for immediate payment.
2-22     77R12904 YDB-D                                             Haggerty