By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 2408
         77R4346 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a study by the Health Professions Council relating to
 1-3     the complaint procedures of certain health care regulatory
 1-4     entities.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  (a)  The Health Professions Council shall study
 1-7     the complaint procedures for the entities described by Subsection
 1-8     (b) of this section,  including:
 1-9                 (1)  the manner in which complaint information is
1-10     compiled and handled;
1-11                 (2)  the manner in which complaints are adjudicated and
1-12     resolved; and
1-13                 (3)  the extent to which complaint information is made
1-14     available to the public.
1-15           (b)  This Act applies to the following entities:
1-16                 (1)  the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners;
1-17                 (2)  the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners;
1-18                 (3)  the State Board of Dental Examiners;
1-19                 (4)  the Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners;
1-20                 (5)  the Board of Nurse Examiners;
1-21                 (6)  the Texas Optometry Board;
1-22                 (7)  the State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language
1-23     Pathology and Audiology;
1-24                 (8)  the State Committee of Examiners in the Fitting
 2-1     and Dispensing of Hearing Instruments;
 2-2                 (9)  the Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers;
 2-3                 (10)  the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners;
 2-4                 (11)  the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy
 2-5     Examiners;
 2-6                 (12)  the Texas State Board of Examiners of
 2-7     Psychologists;
 2-8                 (13)  the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage
 2-9     and Family Therapists;
2-10                 (14)  the Texas State Board of Examiners of
2-11     Professional Counselors;
2-12                 (15)  the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners;
2-13                 (16)  the Texas State Board of Pharmacy;
2-14                 (17)  the Texas State Board of Examiners of
2-15     Perfusionists;
2-16                 (18)  the Texas Board of Licensure for Professional
2-17     Medical Physicists;
2-18                 (19)  the Texas Board of Orthotics and Prosthetics;
2-19                 (20)  the Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians;
2-20                 (21)  the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners;
2-21                 (22)  the Interagency Council on Sex Offender
2-22     Treatment; and
2-23                 (23)  the Texas Board of Health in that board's
2-24     administration of:
2-25                       (A)  Chapters 203, 353, 455, 601, and 604,
2-26     Occupations Code; and
2-27                       (B)  Section 12.014, Health and Safety Code.
 3-1           (c)  The Health Professions Council shall deliver to the
 3-2     lieutenant governor and speaker of the house a report on the study
 3-3     conducted under this Act not later than January 1, 2003.  The
 3-4     report must include any recommendations for:
 3-5                 (1)  a standard procedure for the handling of
 3-6     complaints by the entities studied under this Act; and
 3-7                 (2)  a method that provides the most complete public
 3-8     access to complaint information.
 3-9           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
3-10     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
3-11     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
3-12     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-13     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.