HBA-MPM H.B. 2558 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2558
By: Maxey
Public Health
3/30/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Information about physicians needs to be readily available to consumers in
order for them to make an informed choice in selecting a health provider.
Currently, information such as education, years certified,
nationally-recognized specialty certification, and information about past
criminal conduct and paid malpractice claims are being assembled by the
Texas State Board of Medical Examiners (board) and is to be made available
to consumers on the Internet.  Legislation passed in the 76th Texas
Legislature instructed the board to raise fees by $20 to pay for this
technology.  However, in the 2002-2003 biennium, the board must reduce the
fees by $10.  Early estimations of the cost of profile maintenance have
proven to be too low, and the current fee is needed to pay the costs of
maintaining the physician profiling system. House Bill 2558 provides that
the current fee of $20 charged to licensees is retained. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2558 amends the Occupations Code to prohibit the Texas State
Board of Medical Examiners (board) from adjusting a fee established on or
before August 31, 2001 to an amount less than the amount of the fee on
August 31, 2001. 

The bill repeals law that requires the board to raise fees in an amount not
to exceed $20 for the years 2000 and 2001 and not to exceed $10 for the
years 2002 and 2003 for each board-licensed physician to cover
administration costs due to changes made by the law, including establishing
the physician profile system. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, of if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.