HBA-CMT, DMH H.B. 429 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 429 By: West, George "Buddy" Licensing & Administrative Procedures 3/6/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, there is no professional protection for persons in practice as safety professionals. House Bill 429 establishes the Safety Professional Title Recognition Act, which identifies certain titles as representative of safety professionals, and imposes a fine of up to $1,000 for unauthorized use of a title. 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 429 creates the Safety Professional Title Recognition Act. The bill recognizes the certification of safety professionals and provides assurance to the public that an individual who is employed as a safety professional and who represents that the individual is a safety professional is minimally qualified to protect the public health and safety. The bill provides that the Board of Certified Safety Professionals is a nonprofit corporation that has been established to improve the practice and educational standards of the profession of safety by certifying individuals as specified professionals, technicians, technologists, and supervisors. Unless certified as such by the board at the time that the title is used, the bill prohibits an individual from using any of the following titles: _associate safety professional or ASP; _certified safety professional or CSP; _construction health and safety technician or CHST; _occupational health and safety technologist or OHST; or _safety-trained supervisor or STS. A violation of this prohibition is punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $1,000. The bill authorizes the attorney general to bring an action to collect the penalty. The bill requires a collected penalty to be deposited to the credit of the general revenue fund. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.