By: Goldman H.B. No. 2853
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the regulation of the practice of podiatry.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 202.2032(d), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  The
  [Not later than the 15th day after the date the
  complaint is filed with the department, the] department shall
  notify the license holder who is the subject of the complaint of the
  name and address of the insurance agent, insurer, pharmaceutical
  company, or third-party administrator who filed the complaint,
  unless the notice would jeopardize an investigation.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter E, Chapter 202, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 202.204 to read as follows:
         Sec. 202.204.  EXPERT WITNESS. (a) In this section, "expert
  witness" means a podiatrist or other qualified individual with whom
  the department contracts to assist the department with reviewing,
  investigating, or prosecuting complaints filed under this chapter.
         (b)  The department may contract with an expert witness to
  assist the department with reviewing, investigating, or
  prosecuting a complaint filed under this chapter.
         (c)  Except for an act by an expert witness involving fraud,
  conspiracy, or malice, an expert witness is immune from liability
  and may not be subject to a suit for damages for any act arising from
  the performance of the expert witness's duties in:
               (1)  participating in an informal conference to
  determine the facts of a complaint;
               (2)  evaluating evidence in a complaint and offering an
  opinion or technical guidance on an alleged violation of this
  chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter;
               (3)  testifying at a hearing regarding a complaint; or
               (4)  making an evaluation, report, or recommendation
  regarding a complaint.
         SECTION 3.  Section 202.253(a-1), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a-1)  The commission or department may refuse to admit a
  person to an examination, and may refuse to issue a license to
  practice podiatry to a person, for:
               (1)  presenting a license, certificate, or diploma that
  was illegally or fraudulently obtained or engaging in fraud or
  deception in passing the examination;
               (2)  being convicted of[:
                     [(A)  a felony;
                     [(B)  a crime that involves moral turpitude; or
                     [(C)]  an offense under Section 202.606;
               (3)  engaging in habits of intemperance or drug
  addiction that in the department's opinion would endanger the
  health, well-being, or welfare of patients;
               (4)  engaging in grossly unprofessional or
  dishonorable conduct of a character that in the department's
  opinion is likely to deceive or defraud the public;
               (5)  directly or indirectly violating or attempting to
  violate this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter as a
  principal, accessory, or accomplice;
               (6)  using any advertising statement of a character
  tending to mislead or deceive the public;
               (7)  advertising professional superiority or the
  performance of professional service in a superior manner;
               (8)  purchasing, selling, bartering, or using or
  offering to purchase, sell, barter, or use a podiatry degree,
  license, certificate, diploma, or a transcript of a license,
  certificate, or diploma, in or incident to an application for a
  license to practice podiatry;
               (9)  altering, with fraudulent intent, a podiatry
  license, certificate, diploma, or a transcript of a podiatry
  license, certificate, or diploma;
               (10)  using a podiatry license, certificate, or
  diploma, or a transcript of a podiatry license, certificate, or
  diploma, that has been fraudulently purchased, issued,
  counterfeited, or materially altered;
               (11)  impersonating, or acting as proxy for, another
  person in a podiatry license examination;
               (12)  impersonating a license holder, or permitting
  another person to use the license holder's license to practice
  podiatry in this state, to treat or offer to treat, by any method,
  conditions and ailments of human feet;
               (13)  directly or indirectly employing a person whose
  license to practice podiatry has been suspended or associating in
  the practice of podiatry with a person whose license to practice
  podiatry has been suspended or who has been convicted of the
  unlawful practice of podiatry in this state or elsewhere;
               (14)  wilfully making in the application for a license
  to practice podiatry a material misrepresentation or material
  untrue statement;
               (15)  being unable to practice podiatry with reasonable
  skill and safety to a patient because of age, illness, drunkenness,
  or excessive use of drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or other
  substances or as a result of a mental or physical condition;
               (16)  failing to practice podiatry in an acceptable
  manner consistent with public health and welfare;
               (17)  being removed, suspended, or disciplined in
  another manner by the podiatrist's peers in a professional podiatry
  association or society, whether local, regional, state, or national
  in scope, or being disciplined by a licensed hospital or the medical
  staff of a hospital, including removal, suspension, limitation of
  hospital privileges, or other disciplinary action, if the
  commission or department determines that the action was:
                     (A)  based on unprofessional conduct or
  professional incompetence likely to harm the public; and
                     (B)  appropriate and reasonably supported by
  evidence submitted to the association, society, hospital, or
  medical staff; or
               (18)  having repeated or recurring meritorious health
  care liability claims filed against the podiatrist that in the
  commission's or department's opinion are evidence of professional
  incompetence likely to injure the public.
         SECTION 4.  Section 202.602(a), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The department [commission by rule] shall develop a
  system to identify and monitor a podiatrist's compliance with this
  chapter and any [. The system must include:
               [(1)     procedures for determining whether a podiatrist
  is in compliance with an] order issued by the commission or
  executive director under this chapter [; and
               [(2)     a method of identifying and monitoring each
  podiatrist who represents a risk to the public].
         SECTION 5.  Sections 202.2025 and 202.6011, Occupations
  Code, are repealed.
         SECTION 6.  Section 202.2032, Occupations Code, as amended
  by this Act, applies only to a complaint filed under Chapter 202,
  Occupations Code, on or after the effective date of this Act.  A
  complaint filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by
  the law in effect on the date the complaint was filed, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 7.  Section 202.253(a-1), Occupations Code, as
  amended by this Act, applies only to a conviction that occurs on or
  after the effective date of this Act.  A conviction that occurs
  before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect on the date the conviction occurred, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.