BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 985
80R6877 DWS-F By: Hegar
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Rural health clinics are usually staffed solely by advanced nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. The federal rural health clinic criteria requires a physician to be present once every 10 days and to review 10 percent of medical charts, while nurse practitioners and physicians assistants perform the rest of the necessary duties. However, these health care personnel, unlike licensed physicians, do not have the authority to provide disabled parking permits to qualified disabled persons. Since physicians are only on-site a small percentage of the time, these health care personnel need the authority to issue such parking permits in the absence of a physician.
As proposed, S.B. 985 authorizes nurse practitioners and physicians assistants acting under the delegation and supervision of a licensed physician to provide the necessary notarized written statement for a disabled parking placard.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 681.003(c), Transportation Code, to authorize a person acting under the delegation and supervision of a licensed physician in conformance with Subchapter B, Chapter 157, Occupations Code, to provide the necessary notarized written statement required to accompany the first application for a disabled parking placard. Makes a conforming change.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.