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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirement that licensed physicians provide |
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emergency contact information to the Texas Medical Board. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 156, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 156.006 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 156.006. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION. (a) Each |
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license holder shall submit to the board telephone numbers, fax |
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numbers, and e-mail addresses, if available and as appropriate, |
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that the board may use to contact the license holder in an |
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emergency. |
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(b) A license holder who receives an initial registration |
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permit shall provide the information required under Subsection (a) |
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not later than the 30th day after the date the permit is issued. |
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Each license holder who applies to renew a registration permit |
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shall submit the information required under Subsection (a) with the |
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renewal application. |
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(c) A license holder shall report to the board any change in |
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the information required under Subsection (a) not later than the |
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45th day after the date of the change. |
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(d) The information provided by a license holder under this |
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section is confidential and is not subject to disclosure under |
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Chapter 552, Government Code. The board may not publish, release, |
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or make available information provided by a license holder under |
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this section except as provided by Subsection (e). |
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(e) In the event of a public health emergency declared or |
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invoked by the governor, the Department of State Health Services, |
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or a federal agency, the board may publish, release, or make |
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available information provided by a license holder under this |
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section for the sole purpose of disseminating information to: |
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(1) a license holder; |
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(2) a designated city, county, state, or federal |
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public health or emergency management official; or |
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(3) the Federation of State Medical Boards. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2009, each person who |
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holds a license to practice medicine under Chapter 155, Occupations |
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Code, shall make the initial submission to the Texas Medical Board |
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of the information required by Subsection (a), Section 156.006, |
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Occupations Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |