Amend CSSB 7 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered ARTICLE to the bill and renumbering subsequent ARTICLES and SECTIONS accordingly:
ARTICLE ____. FORMATION OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS BY CERTAIN HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
SECTION ____.01. Subtitle A, Title 3, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Chapter 115 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 115. PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION OF PHYSICIANS AND CHIROPRACTORS
Sec. 115.001. PURPOSE; CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER. (a) The purpose of this chapter is to:
(1) reduce barriers to a free market for health care by increasing efficiency and professional collaboration for the purpose of improving patient care and lowering costs; and
(2) authorize physicians and chiropractors to use certain business organizations to efficiently collaborate in the delivery of health care.
(b) This chapter may not be construed to modify the scope of practice of a health care professional or to allow one type of health care professional to directly or indirectly control the performance of another type of health care professional's practice.
Sec. 115.002. BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AUTHORIZED. (a) A person licensed under Subtitle B and a person licensed under Chapter 201 may form a partnership, professional association, or professional limited liability company according to the requirements of this section and any other applicable law.
(b) If a person licensed under Chapter 201 forms a professional entity with a person licensed under Subtitle B, as authorized by this section, the authority of each practitioner is limited by that practitioner's scope of practice. A practitioner may not exercise control over the other practitioner's clinical authority granted by the practitioner's license, including control over a treatment decision by the other practitioner through an agreement, bylaw, directive, financial incentive, or other arrangement.
(c) The Texas Medical Board and the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners continue to exercise each board's respective regulatory authority over license holders.
(d) A person licensed under Subtitle B who forms a professional entity under this section shall report the formation of the entity and any material change in an agreement, bylaw, directive, financial incentive, or other arrangement related to the operation of the entity to the Texas Medical Board not later than the 30th day after the date the entity is formed or the material change is made.