S.B. No. 674
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to licensing for certain health professions, including an
  expedited process for certain physicians specializing in
  psychiatry; authorizing a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 155, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 155.010 to read as follows:
         Sec. 155.010.  EXPEDITED LICENSING PROCESS FOR PHYSICIANS
  SPECIALIZING IN PSYCHIATRY. (a)  The board by rule shall create an
  expedited licensing process for an applicant who:
               (1)  holds an unrestricted license to practice medicine
  issued by another state;
               (2)  is board certified in psychiatry by the American
  Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or the American Osteopathic Board
  of Neurology and Psychiatry; and
               (3)  is not ineligible under Section 155.003(e).
         (b)  The expedited licensing process must include a
  procedure for the board to screen applications under this subtitle
  to determine whether an applicant would be eligible for the
  expedited licensing process under this section.
         (c)  The requirements for renewal of a registration permit
  for a license holder issued a license under this section may not be
  more stringent than the requirements for a license holder issued a
  license on a non-expedited basis.
         (d)  The board may establish a fee for the expedited process.
         (e)  This section expires January 1, 2022.
         SECTION 2.  Section 155.056, Occupations Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), an [An]
  applicant must pass each part of an examination within three
  attempts.
         (a-1)  The limit on the number of examination attempts under
  Subsection (a) does not apply to the Texas medical jurisprudence
  examination.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter A, Chapter 156, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 156.010 to read as follows:
         Sec. 156.010.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  board may refuse to renew a registration permit issued under this
  chapter if the license holder is in violation of a board order.
         SECTION 4.  The heading to Section 205.251, Occupations
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 205.251.  [ANNUAL] RENEWAL REQUIRED.
         SECTION 5.  Section 205.251(a), Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The medical board by rule shall provide for the annual
  or biennial renewal of a license to practice acupuncture.
         SECTION 6.  Subchapter F, Chapter 205, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 205.256 to read as follows:
         Sec. 205.256.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  acupuncture board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
  chapter if the license holder is in violation of an acupuncture
  board order.
         SECTION 7.  Subchapter E, Chapter 206, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 206.215 to read as follows:
         Sec. 206.215.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  medical board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
  chapter if the license holder is in violation of a medical board
  order.
         SECTION 8.  Subchapter C, Chapter 601, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 601.113 to read as follows:
         Sec. 601.113.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  advisory board may refuse to renew a certificate issued under this
  chapter if the certificate holder is in violation of an advisory
  board order.
         SECTION 9.  Section 601.155, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 601.155.  STUDENTS. A person is not required to hold a
  certificate issued under this chapter [or to comply with the
  registration requirements adopted under Section 601.252] if the
  person:
               (1)  is a student enrolled in a training program that
  meets the minimum standards adopted under Section 601.201; and
               (2)  is performing a radiologic procedure in an
  academic or clinical setting as part of the training program.
         SECTION 10.  Section 601.156, Occupations Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 601.156.  PROCEDURE PERFORMED AS PART OF CONTINUING
  EDUCATION PROGRAM. A person is not required to hold a certificate
  issued under this chapter [or to comply with the registration
  requirements adopted under Section 601.252] if the person is:
               (1)  licensed or otherwise registered as a medical
  radiologic technologist by another state, the American Registry of
  Radiologic Technologists, the American Registry of Clinical
  Radiography Technologists, or a professional organization or
  association recognized by the advisory board;
               (2)  enrolled in a continuing education program that
  meets the requirements adopted under Section 601.108; and
               (3)  performing a radiologic procedure as part of the
  continuing education program for not more than 10 days.
         SECTION 11.  Section 601.203(b), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The following conditions are considered to be a hardship
  for the purposes of Subsection (a):
               (1)  that the applicant:
                     (A)  reports an inability to attract and retain
  medical radiologic technologists; and
                     (B)  is located in a county with a population of
  less than 50,000;
               (2)  that the applicant is located at a great distance
  from a school of medical radiologic technology;
               (3)  that there is a list of qualified persons who have
  applied to a school of medical radiologic technology whose
  admissions are pending because of a lack of faculty or space;
               (4)  that the school of medical radiologic technology
  produces an insufficient number of graduates in medical radiologic
  technology to meet the needs of the applicant; or
               (5)  any other criteria determined by advisory board
  rule.
         SECTION 12.  Sections 601.252(c) and (d), Occupations Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (c)  Rules adopted under this section by the State Board of
  Dental Examiners must:
               (1)  require an authorized person who performs
  radiologic procedures under the delegation of a dentist, other than
  a registered nurse, to register with the dental board [agency that
  licenses the practitioner under whom the person performs radiologic
  procedures];
               (2)  establish reasonable and necessary fees to cover
  the administrative costs incurred by the dental board [agency] in
  administering a registration program created under this
  subsection;
               (3)  establish grounds for the suspension, revocation,
  or nonrenewal of a registration issued under this subsection; and
               (4)  establish standards, in addition to those required
  by this chapter, for training and supervising the operators of the
  equipment.
         (d)  In adopting rules under Subsection (c), the State Board
  of Dental Examiners [an agency] may take into account whether the
  radiologic procedure will be performed by a registered nurse.
         SECTION 13.  Subchapter E, Chapter 602, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 602.214 to read as follows:
         Sec. 602.214.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  medical board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
  chapter if the license holder is in violation of a medical board
  order.
         SECTION 14.  Section 603.252(a), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  An applicant for a perfusionist license must submit an
  [a sworn] application accompanied by the application fee.
         SECTION 15.  Subchapter G, Chapter 603, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 603.306 to read as follows:
         Sec. 603.306.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  medical board may refuse to renew a license issued under this
  chapter if the license holder is in violation of a medical board
  order.
         SECTION 16.  Subchapter D, Chapter 604, Occupations Code, is
  amended by adding Section 604.158 to read as follows:
         Sec. 604.158.  REFUSAL FOR VIOLATION OF BOARD ORDER. The
  advisory board may refuse to renew a certificate or temporary
  permit issued under this chapter if the certificate or permit
  holder is in violation of an advisory board order.
         SECTION 17.  The Texas Medical Board shall create and
  implement the expedited licensing process under Section 155.010,
  Occupations Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1,
  2018.
         SECTION 18.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 674 passed the Senate on
  March 20, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2017, by the
  following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 674 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 23, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 145,
  Nays 0, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor