By: Crownover (Senate Sponsor - Fraser) H.B. No. 581
(In the Senate - Received from the House March 31, 2003;
April 3, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 15, 2003, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 15, 2003, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the medication or drug testing of racing animals under
the Texas Racing Act.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 3.07(d), Texas Racing Act (Article 179e,
Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
(d) Medication or drug testing performed on a race animal
under this Act shall be conducted by the Texas Veterinary Medical
Diagnostic Laboratory or by a laboratory operated by or in
conjunction with or by a private or public agency selected by the
commission after consultation with the [on a yearly basis by
competitive bidding submitted to the commission for final approval.
The commission's decision shall be based on cost and integrity.
The] Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory [may aid the
commission in its selection]. Medication or drug testing performed
on a human under this Act shall be conducted by a laboratory
approved by the commission. Charges for services performed under
this section shall be forwarded to the commission for approval as to
the reasonableness of the charges for the services. Charges may
include but are not limited to expenses incurred for travel,
lodging, testing, and processing of test results. The reasonable
charges associated with medication or drug testing conducted under
this Act shall be paid by the association that receives the
services. The commission shall adopt rules for the procedures for
approving and paying laboratory charges under this section. The
commission shall determine whether the laboratory charges are [On
the approval of the charges as] reasonable [,] in relation to
industry standards by periodically surveying the drug testing
charges of comparable laboratories in the United States. The [for
testing charges, the] commission shall forward a copy of the
charges to the association that receives the services for immediate
payment.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2003, and
applies only to medication or drug testing performed on a racing
animal under the Texas Racing Act (Article 179e, Vernon's Texas
Civil Statutes) on or after the effective date of this Act.
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