By:  Madla, Shapleigh, Lucio                                      S.B. No. 558


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to immigration visa waivers for physicians.                          
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 12, Health and Safety 
Code, is amended by adding Section 12.0127 to read as follows:
	Sec. 12.0127.  IMMIGRATION VISA WAIVERS FOR PHYSICIANS.  The 
department, in accordance with 8 U.S.C. Section 1182(e), as 
amended, under exceptions provided by 8 U.S.C. Section 1184(l), as 
amended, may request waiver of the foreign country residence 
requirement for a qualified alien physician who agrees to practice 
medicine in a medically underserved area or health professional 
shortage area, as designated by the United States Department of 
Health and Human Services, that has a current shortage of 
physicians.
	SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 155.1025, Occupations 
Code, is amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The board shall adopt rules for expediting any 
application for a license under this subtitle made by a person who 
is licensed to practice medicine in another state or country and who 
submits an affidavit with the application stating that:
		(1)  the applicant intends to practice in a rural 
community, as determined by the Office of Rural Community Affairs
[Center for Rural Health Initiatives]; or
		(2)  the applicant intends to practice medicine[:     
			[(A)  accept employment with an entity located] in 
a medically underserved area or health professional shortage area, 
designated by the United States Department of Health and Human 
Services, that has a current shortage of physicians [and affiliated 
with or participating in a public university-sponsored graduate 
medical education program;
			[(B)  serve on the faculty of the public 
university-sponsored graduate medical education program; and
			[(C)  engage in the practice of medicine and 
teaching in a specialty field of medicine that is necessary to 
obtain or maintain the accreditation of the public 
university-sponsored graduate medical education program by the 
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education].
	SECTION 3.  Section 51.949, Education Code, as added by 
Chapter 1293, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, 
is repealed.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           


COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
	Amend S.B. 558 (engrossed version) as follows:                                 
	(1)  In SECTION 1 of the bill, in proposed Section 12.0127, 
Health and Safety Code (page 1, line 6), between "PHYSICIANS." and 
"The" insert "(a)".
	(2)  In SECTION 1 of the bill, in proposed Section 12.0127, 
Health and Safety Code (page 1, between lines 14 and 15), insert a 
new Subsection (b) to read as follows:
	(b)  The department may charge a fee to cover the costs 
incurred by the department in administering the visa waiver program 
established under this section.
	(3)  In SECTION 2 of the bill, in amended Subsection (a), 
Section 155.1025, Occupations Code (page 1, line 24), strike "(2) 
the applicant intends to practice medicine [:" and substitute the 
following:
		(2)  the applicant:                                                    
			(A)  has requested and is eligible for an 
immigration visa waiver as described by Section 12.0127, Health and 
Safety Code; and
			(B)  intends to practice medicine [:          

78R11093 YDB-D                                                          Castro