83R20243 JSC-F
 
  By: Callegari H.B. No. 1803
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the renewal of a controlled substance registration by
  physicians; changing the payment schedule for a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 481.061(c), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (c)  A separate registration is required at each principal
  place of business or professional practice where the applicant
  manufactures, distributes, analyzes, dispenses, or possesses a
  controlled substance[. However], except that the director may not
  require separate registration for:
               (1)  a physician licensed under Subtitle B, Title 3,
  Occupations Code; or
               (2)  a practitioner engaged in research with a
  nonnarcotic controlled substance listed in Schedules II through V
  if the registrant is already registered under this subchapter in
  another capacity.
         SECTION 2.  Section 481.063(g), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (g)  Except as otherwise provided by Section 481.0645 for a
  physician licensed under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code,
  a [A] registration is valid until the first anniversary of the date
  of issuance and may be renewed annually under rules adopted by the
  director, unless a rule provides for a longer period of validity or
  renewal.
         SECTION 3.  Section 481.064, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as otherwise provided by Section 481.0645 for a
  physician licensed under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code, the 
  [The] director may charge a nonrefundable fee of not more than $25
  before processing an application for annual registration and may
  charge a late fee of not more than $50 for each application for
  renewal the department receives after the date the registration
  expires.  The director by rule shall set the amounts of the fees at
  the amounts that are necessary to cover the cost of administering
  and enforcing this subchapter.  Except as provided by Subsection
  (b) or Section 156.004, Occupations Code, registrants shall pay the
  fees to the director.  Not later than 60 days before the date the
  registration expires, the director shall send a renewal notice to
  the registrant at the last known address of the registrant
  according to department records, unless the registrant is a
  physician to whom notice of expiration is provided under Section
  156.004, Occupations Code.
         (a-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the director shall
  continue to send renewal notices to registrants who are physicians.
  This subsection expires January 1, 2016.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 481, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Section 481.0645 to read as follows:
         Sec. 481.0645.  REGISTRATION, RENEWAL, AND FEES FOR
  PHYSICIANS. (a) The registration under this chapter of a physician
  licensed under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code, is valid for a
  period of not less than two years and expires on the same date the
  physician's registration permit issued by the Texas Medical Board
  under Chapter 156, Occupations Code, expires.
         (a-1)  A registration of a physician licensed under Subtitle
  B, Title 3, Occupations Code, that is in effect on January 1, 2014,
  does not expire before the date on which the physician's
  registration permit issued by the Texas Medical Board under Chapter
  156, Occupations Code, expires. This subsection expires January 1,
  2017.
         (b)  The director may charge a physician registered under
  this section a nonrefundable registration fee of not more than $50
  and a late fee for each application submitted after the expiration
  of the grace period described by Section 156.004(b), Occupations
  Code.
         (c)  A physician may request the renewal of the physician's
  registration under this chapter by remitting the information
  required under Section 481.063 and the fee required under
  Subsection (b) to the Texas Medical Board. The Texas Medical Board
  must allow a physician to submit the information and pay the fee
  electronically.
         (d)  A physician requesting renewal under this section must
  meet all eligibility requirements under Section 481.063(e).
         (e)  The director shall adopt any rules necessary to
  administer this section. The director shall coordinate with the
  Texas Medical Board in the adoption of rules necessary under this
  section to prevent any conflicts between rules adopted by the
  agencies and to ensure that administrative burden to physicians is
  minimized.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter A, Chapter 156, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 156.0035 to read as follows:
         Sec. 156.0035.  RENEWAL OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
  REGISTRATION. (a) The board shall accept the renewal application
  and fee submitted by a physician under Section 481.0645, Health and
  Safety Code, for a registration under Subchapter C, Chapter 481,
  Health and Safety Code.
         (b)  The board by rule shall adopt a procedure for submitting
  a registration renewal application and remitting the registration
  fee to the Department of Public Safety.
         (c)  The board shall coordinate a physician's controlled
  substance registration renewal with the registration required
  under this chapter so that the times of registration, payment, and
  notice, and any applicable grace periods for renewal, are the same
  and provide a minimum of administrative burden to the board and to
  physicians.
         SECTION 6.  Section 156.004, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 156.004.  NOTICE OF EXPIRATION. (a)  At least 60 days
  before the date on which a physician's registration permit expires,
  the [The] board shall send [a registration permit renewal
  application notice] to each physician at the physician's last known
  address according to the board's records:
               (1)  a [at least 30 days before the expiration date of
  the] registration permit renewal application notice; and
               (2)  a renewal notice for the physician's registration
  with the Department of Public Safety under Subchapter C, Chapter
  481, Health and Safety Code.
         (b)  The board shall provide for a 30-day grace period for
  renewing the registration permit from the date of the expiration of
  the permit.
         SECTION 7.  (a) The changes in law made to Subchapter C,
  Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, by this Act apply only to a
  registration under that subchapter that expires on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         (b)  The changes in law made to Chapter 156, Occupations
  Code, by this Act apply only to a registration permit under that
  chapter that expires on or after the effective date of this Act.
         (c)  An unexpired registration under Subchapter C, Chapter
  481, Health and Safety Code, held by a physician on the effective
  date of this Act expires on the date on which the registration
  permit issued to the physician under Chapter 156, Occupations Code,
  expires.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2014.