HBA-JRA H.B. 1145 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1145 By: Maxey Public Health 6/24/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to the 76th Legislature, a licensed chemical dependency counselor must have completed 60 hours of continuing education in each two-year period in which the person held a license as a requirement for the renewal of the license. This provision does not take into account the advanced academic training and residency requirements of certain licensed professionals. H.B. 1145 reduces the number of required hours of continuing medical education to 24 in each two-year period for licensed master social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, physicians, and psychologists. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority previously delegated to the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 15, Chapter 635, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 4512o, V.T.C.S.)) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 15, Chapter 635, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991 (Article 4512o, V.T.C.S.), as follows: Sec. 15. (a) Creates subdivision from existing text. (b) Makes a change conforming to the exception provided in Subsection (c). (c) Provides that a licensed chemical dependency counselor to whom this subsection applies must complete at least 24 hours of continuing education in each two-year period in which the person holds a license as a requirement for the renewal of the license. Provides that this subsection applies only to a license holder who is also licensed as a licensed master social worker, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed professional counselor, a physician who is practicing medicine, or a psychologist. (d) Prohibits the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse from adopting a rule that distinguishes between the continuing education requirements required for a license holder subject to Subsection (b) of this section and a license holder subject to Subsection (c) of this section, except with request to the number of hours of continuing education required by license holders under the respective subsections. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective to a license to practice as a chemical dependency counselor that is renewed on or after the effective date. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.