82R5330 TJS-F
 
  By: Farrar H.B. No. 823
 
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the liability of certain social workers who provide
 
  volunteer health care services to charitable organizations.
         
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         
         SECTION 1.  Section 84.003(5), Civil Practice and Remedies
 
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
               
               (5)  "Volunteer health care provider" means an
 
  individual who voluntarily provides health care services without
 
  compensation or expectation of compensation and who is:
                     
                     (A)  an individual who is licensed to practice
 
  medicine under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code;
                     
                     (B)  a retired physician who is eligible to
 
  provide health care services, including a retired physician who is
 
  licensed but exempt from paying the required annual registration
 
  fee under Section 156.002, Occupations Code;
                     
                     (C)  a physician assistant licensed under Chapter
 
  204, Occupations Code, or a retired physician assistant who is
 
  eligible to provide health care services under the law of this
 
  state;
                     
                     (D)  a registered nurse, including an advanced
 
  nurse practitioner, or vocational nurse, licensed under Chapter
 
  301, Occupations Code, or a retired vocational nurse or registered
 
  nurse, including a retired advanced nurse practitioner, who is
 
  eligible to provide health care services under the law of this
 
  state;
                     
                     (E)  a pharmacist licensed under Subtitle J, Title
 
  3, Occupations Code, or a retired pharmacist who is eligible to
 
  provide health care services under the law of this state;
                     
                     (F)  a podiatrist licensed under Chapter 202,
 
  Occupations Code, or a retired podiatrist who is eligible to
 
  provide health care services under the law of this state;
                     
                     (G)  a dentist licensed under Subtitle D, Title 3,
 
  Occupations Code, or a retired dentist who is eligible to provide
 
  health care services under the law of this state;
                     
                     (H)  a dental hygienist licensed under Subtitle D,
 
  Title 3, Occupations Code, or a retired dental hygienist who is
 
  eligible to provide health care services under the law of this
 
  state;
                     
                     (I)  an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist
 
  licensed under Chapter 351, Occupations Code, or a retired
 
  optometrist or therapeutic optometrist who is eligible to provide
 
  health care services under the law of this state;
                     
                     (J)  a physical therapist or physical therapist
 
  assistant licensed under Chapter 453, Occupations Code, or a
 
  retired physical therapist or physical therapist assistant who is
 
  eligible to provide health care services under the law of this
 
  state;
                     
                     (K)  an occupational therapist or occupational
 
  therapy assistant licensed under Chapter 454, Occupations Code, or
 
  a retired occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant
 
  who is eligible to provide health care services under the law of
 
  this state; [or]
                     
                     (L)  an audiologist, assistant in audiology,
 
  speech-language pathologist, or assistant in speech-language
 
  pathology licensed under Chapter 401, Occupations Code, or a
 
  retired audiologist, assistant in audiology, speech-language
 
  pathologist, or assistant in speech-language pathology who is
 
  eligible to provide health care services under the laws of this
 
  state; or
                     
                     (M)  a social worker licensed under Chapter 505,
 
  Occupations Code, or a retired social worker who is eligible to
 
  engage in the practice of social work under the law of this state.
         
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies only to a cause of action that
 
  accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. A cause of
 
  action that accrued before the effective date of this Act is
 
  governed by the law applicable to the cause of action immediately
 
  before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in
 
  effect for that purpose.
         
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.