HBA-NRS H.B. 3153 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3153
By: Capelo
Public Health
7/18/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

State law allows doctors of podiatry or dentistry to create jointly owned,
managed, or operated health care facilities in the form of professional
associations. Such multi-disciplinary health care facilities or practices
reduce the need for the patient to travel from place to place and doctor to
doctor to receive needed diagnostic and treatment services thereby
eliminating the duplication of expensive health services and providing for
better treatment and management of specific health conditions. Because
doctors of chiropractic were not included in the authorizing statute,
chiropractors who wanted to form such associations usually had to form
intricate corporate structures that were more costly to operate and manage.
House Bill 3153 authorizes one or more persons duly licensed to practice
chiropractic to form certain professional associations. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3153 amends the Texas Professional Association Act to authorize
one or more persons duly licensed to practice chiropractic to form certain
professional associations, as distinguished from either a partnership or a
corporation, by associating themselves for the purpose of performing
professional services and dividing the gains therefrom as stated in
articles of association or bylaws. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

June 14, 2001.