HBA-JRA H.B. 1145 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1145
By: Maxey
Public Health
2/17/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a licensed chemical dependency counselor must complete 60 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.  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 of 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.