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                                                                  H.B. No. 2476




AN ACT

relating to allowing the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel to hold 
hearings by telecommunication methods.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 74.102(f), Civil Practice and Remedies 
Code, is amended to read as follows:
	(f)  Meetings of the panel shall be held at the call of the 
chairman or on petition of at least three members of the panel.  
Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any other law, if 
any member of the panel is physically present at a meeting, any 
number of the other members of the panel may attend the meeting by 
use of telephone conference call, videoconferencing, or other 
similar telecommunication method for purposes of establishing a 
quorum or voting or for any other meeting purpose allowing a panel 
member to fully participate in any panel meeting.  This subsection 
applies without regard to the subject matter discussed or 
considered by the panel at the meeting.  A meeting held by telephone 
conference call, videoconferencing, or other similar 
telecommunication method:
		(1)  is subject to the notice requirements applicable 
to other meetings of the panel;
		(2)  may not be held unless the notice of the meeting 
specifies the location of the meeting at which a member of the panel 
will be physically present;
		(3)  must be open to the public and audible to the 
public at the location specified in the notice under Subdivision 
(2); and
		(4)  must provide two-way audio communication between 
all panel members attending the meeting during the entire meeting, 
and, if the two-way audio communication link with any member 
attending the meeting is disrupted at any time, the meeting may not 
continue until the two-way audio communication link is 
reestablished.
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only 
to a meeting of the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel that occurs on or 
after the effective date of this Act.  A meeting of the panel that 
occurs before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law 
in effect immediately before that date, and that law is continued in 
effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3.  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 September 1, 2005.




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 2476 was passed by the House on May 9, 
2005, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0, 3 present, not 
voting.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	I certify that H.B. No. 2476 was passed by the Senate on May 
25, 2005, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Secretary of the Senate    



APPROVED:  _____________________                                            
 
                   Date                                                      




 
          _____________________                                          
 
                 Governor