HBA-RBT S.B. 524 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 524
By: Moncrief
Public Health
4/15/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a consumer can call the Board of Dental Examiners (board) to
find out if any disciplinary action has been taken against a dentist.
However, a consumer is not eligible to receive information regarding
letters of warning.  S.B. 524 permits disclosure of warning letters. 

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. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article 4548h, V.T.C.S. (Subsection (a), Section 2, Acts
of the 45th Legislature, Regular Session, 1937), to include a warning
letter among the disciplinary actions available to the Board of Dental
Examiners (board).   

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 2, Article 4549, V.T.C.S., to make conforming
changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 2, Article 4550, V.T.C.S., to provide that board
records regarding disciplinary actions of the board are not confidential,
including investigation files and records of the revocation or suspension
of a license, the imposition of a fine on a license holder, the placement
on probation with conditions of a license holder whose license has been
suspended, the reprimand of a license holder, or the issuance of warning
letter to a license holder. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.