By:  Capelo (Senate Sponsor - Bivins)                             H.B. No. 23 
	(In the Senate - Received from the House September 17, 2003; 
September 17, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on 
Finance; September 22, 2003, reported favorably by the following 
vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; September 22, 2003, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to appropriating the fees relating to the office of 
patient protection collected by certain licensing agencies for the  
Health Professions Council under Chapter 305 (House Bill No. 2985), 
Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  (a)  All fees collected during the state fiscal 
biennium beginning September 1, 2003, authorized by Subchapter G, 
Chapter 101, Occupations Code, as added by Chapter 305, Acts of the 
78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, are appropriated to the 
Health Professions Council for the state fiscal biennium beginning 
September 1, 2003, for the administration of the office of patient 
protection under Subchapter G, Chapter 101, Occupations Code.
	(b)  Any increase in state employee benefit costs incurred 
during the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2003, in 
connection with administering Subchapter G, Chapter 101, 
Occupations Code, as added by Chapter 305, Acts of the 78th 
Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, shall be paid out of the 
appropriations made by Subsection (a) of this section and shall be 
allocated to the appropriate employee benefit appropriation items 
in accordance with applicable rules of the comptroller.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect January 15, 2004.



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