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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to continuing education requirements for certain health |
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professionals regarding pain management and the prescribing of |
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opioids. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 156.055, Occupations Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 156.055. CONTINUING EDUCATION IN PAIN MANAGEMENT AND |
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PRESCRIPTION OF OPIOIDS [TREATMENT]. A physician licensed under |
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this subtitle who submits an application for renewal of a license |
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that designates a direct patient care practice must complete, as |
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part of [and whose practice includes treating patients for pain is
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encouraged to include continuing medical education in pain
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treatment among] the hours of continuing medical education |
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completed to comply with Section 156.051(a)(2), not less than two |
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hours of continuing medical education regarding pain management and |
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opioid abuse, including education regarding the reasonable |
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standard of care in prescribing opioids and other addictive |
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controlled substances. |
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SECTION 2. Section 157.0513(a), Occupations Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board, the Texas Board of Nursing, and the Texas |
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Physician Assistant Board shall jointly develop a process: |
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(1) to exchange information regarding the names, |
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locations, and license numbers of each physician, advanced practice |
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registered nurse, and physician assistant who has entered into a |
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prescriptive authority agreement; |
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(2) by which each board shall immediately notify the |
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other boards when a license holder of the board becomes the subject |
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of an investigation involving the delegation and supervision of |
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prescriptive authority, as well as the final disposition of any |
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such investigation; [and] |
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(3) by which each board shall maintain and share a list |
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of the board's license holders who have been subject to a final |
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adverse disciplinary action for an act involving the delegation and |
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supervision of prescriptive authority; and |
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(4) to ensure that each advanced practice registered |
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nurse or physician assistant who has entered into a prescriptive |
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authority agreement authorizing the prescribing of opioids is |
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required to complete not less than two hours of continuing |
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education in each license renewal period regarding pain management |
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and opioid abuse, including education regarding the reasonable |
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standard of care in prescribing opioids and other addictive |
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controlled substances. |
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SECTION 3. Section 257.005, Occupations Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) The board shall require a licensed dentist whose |
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practice includes direct patient care to complete, for each |
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registration period, not less than two hours of board-approved |
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continuing education regarding pain management and opioid abuse, |
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including education regarding the reasonable standard of care in |
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prescribing opioids and other addictive controlled substances. |
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SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an application for renewal of a registration permit or license |
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submitted on or after January 1, 2020. A renewal application |
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submitted before January 1, 2020, is governed by the law in effect |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |