1-1 By: Maxey (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh) H.B. No. 2408 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2001; 1-3 May 7, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 1-4 and Human Services; May 11, 2001, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 11, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to a study by the Health Professions Council relating to 1-9 the complaint procedures of certain health care regulatory 1-10 entities. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. (a) The Health Professions Council shall study 1-13 the complaint procedures for the entities described by Subsection 1-14 (b) of this section, including: 1-15 (1) the process by which complaint information is 1-16 compiled and handled; 1-17 (2) the process by which complaints are adjudicated 1-18 and resolved; and 1-19 (3) the extent to which complaint information is made 1-20 available to the public. 1-21 (b) This Act applies to the following entities: 1-22 (1) the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners; 1-23 (2) the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners; 1-24 (3) the State Board of Dental Examiners; 1-25 (4) the Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners; 1-26 (5) the Board of Nurse Examiners; 1-27 (6) the Texas Optometry Board; 1-28 (7) the State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language 1-29 Pathology and Audiology; 1-30 (8) the State Committee of Examiners in the Fitting 1-31 and Dispensing of Hearing Instruments; 1-32 (9) the Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers; 1-33 (10) the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners; 1-34 (11) the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy 1-35 Examiners; 1-36 (12) the Texas State Board of Examiners of 1-37 Psychologists; 1-38 (13) the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage 1-39 and Family Therapists; 1-40 (14) the Texas State Board of Examiners of 1-41 Professional Counselors; 1-42 (15) the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners; 1-43 (16) the Texas State Board of Pharmacy; 1-44 (17) the Texas State Board of Examiners of 1-45 Perfusionists; 1-46 (18) the Texas Board of Licensure for Professional 1-47 Medical Physicists; 1-48 (19) the Texas Board of Orthotics and Prosthetics; 1-49 (20) the Texas State Board of Examiners of Dietitians; 1-50 (21) the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners; 1-51 (22) the Council on Sex Offender Treatment; 1-52 (23) the Texas State Board of Podiatric Medical 1-53 Examiners; and 1-54 (24) the Texas Board of Health in that board's 1-55 administration of: 1-56 (A) Chapters 203, 353, 455, 601, and 604, 1-57 Occupations Code; and 1-58 (B) Section 12.014, Health and Safety Code. 1-59 (c) The Health Professions Council shall deliver to the 1-60 lieutenant governor and speaker of the house a report on the study 1-61 conducted under this Act not later than January 1, 2003. The 1-62 report must include any recommendations for: 1-63 (1) a standard procedure for the handling of 1-64 complaints by the entities studied under this Act; and 2-1 (2) a method that provides the most complete public 2-2 access to complaint information. 2-3 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 2-4 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 2-5 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this 2-6 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 2-7 Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-8 * * * * *