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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the liability of certain social workers who provide |
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volunteer health care services to charitable organizations. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 84.003(5), Civil Practice and Remedies |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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(5) "Volunteer health care provider" means an |
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individual who voluntarily provides health care services without |
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compensation or expectation of compensation and who is: |
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(A) an individual who is licensed to practice |
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medicine under Subtitle B, Title 3, Occupations Code; |
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(B) a retired physician who is eligible to |
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provide health care services, including a retired physician who is |
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licensed but exempt from paying the required annual registration |
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fee under Section 156.002, Occupations Code; |
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(C) a physician assistant licensed under Chapter |
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204, Occupations Code, or a retired physician assistant who is |
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eligible to provide health care services under the law of this |
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state; |
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(D) a registered nurse, including an advanced |
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nurse practitioner, or vocational nurse, licensed under Chapter |
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301, Occupations Code, or a retired vocational nurse or registered |
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nurse, including a retired advanced nurse practitioner, who is |
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eligible to provide health care services under the law of this |
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state; |
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(E) a pharmacist licensed under Subtitle J, Title |
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3, Occupations Code, or a retired pharmacist who is eligible to |
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provide health care services under the law of this state; |
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(F) a podiatrist licensed under Chapter 202, |
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Occupations Code, or a retired podiatrist who is eligible to |
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provide health care services under the law of this state; |
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(G) a dentist licensed under Subtitle D, Title 3, |
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Occupations Code, or a retired dentist who is eligible to provide |
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health care services under the law of this state; |
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(H) a dental hygienist licensed under Subtitle D, |
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Title 3, Occupations Code, or a retired dental hygienist who is |
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eligible to provide health care services under the law of this |
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state; |
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(I) an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist |
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licensed under Chapter 351, Occupations Code, or a retired |
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optometrist or therapeutic optometrist who is eligible to provide |
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health care services under the law of this state; |
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(J) a physical therapist or physical therapist |
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assistant licensed under Chapter 453, Occupations Code, or a |
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retired physical therapist or physical therapist assistant who is |
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eligible to provide health care services under the law of this |
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state; |
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(K) an occupational therapist or occupational |
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therapy assistant licensed under Chapter 454, Occupations Code, or |
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a retired occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant |
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who is eligible to provide health care services under the law of |
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this state; [or] |
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(L) an audiologist, assistant in audiology, |
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speech-language pathologist, or assistant in speech-language |
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pathology licensed under Chapter 401, Occupations Code, or a |
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retired audiologist, assistant in audiology, speech-language |
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pathologist, or assistant in speech-language pathology who is |
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eligible to provide health care services under the laws of this |
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state; or |
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(M) a social worker licensed under Chapter 505, |
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Occupations Code, or a retired social worker who is eligible to |
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engage in the practice of social work under the law of this state. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a cause of action that |
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accrues on or after the effective date of this Act. A cause of |
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action that accrued before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law applicable to the cause of action immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |