By: Campbell  S.B. No. 2480          (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2025; April 3, 2025, read   first time and referred to Committee on Health & Human Services;   April 28, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee   Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 28, 2025,   sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2480 By:  Perry     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to the Texas Physician Health Program and the regulation   of certain occupations by the Texas Medical Board; expanding the   applicability of surcharges.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 153, Occupations Code, is   amended by adding Section 153.017 to read as follows:          Sec. 153.017.  CONTINUOUS QUERIES OF NATIONAL PRACTITIONER   DATA BANK FOR ALL OCCUPATIONS REGULATED BY BOARD. (a)  In this   section, "license" means a license, certificate, registration,   permit, or other authorization issued by the board under this title   allowing an individual to engage in an occupation regulated by the   board.          (b)  The board shall run a continuous query on the National   Practitioner Data Bank with respect to each individual who holds a   license and for whom the National Practitioner Data Bank contains   relevant information.          SECTION 2.  Section 153.051(d), Occupations Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (d)  The board may not set, charge, collect, receive, or   deposit any of the following fees in excess of:                (1)  $900 for a license;                (2)  $400 for a first registration permit;                (3)  $200 for a temporary license;                (4)  $400 for renewal of a registration permit;                (5)  $200 for a physician-in-training permit;                (6)  $600 for the processing of an application and the   issuance of a registration for anesthesia in an outpatient setting;                (7)  $200 for an endorsement to other state medical   boards;                (8)  $200 for a duplicate license;                (9)  $700 for a reinstated license after cancellation   for cause; or                (10)  $15 for a surcharge under Section 167.014   [153.053] to administer the Texas Physician Health Program[, due at   the time of license issuance and registration permit renewal].          SECTION 3.  Section 153.055, Occupations Code, is amended by   amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as   follows:          (a)  In this section, "license" has the meaning assigned by   Section 153.017.           (a-1)  The board shall set and collect an additional   surcharge to cover the cost of administering a continuous query on   the National Practitioner Data Bank as required by Section 153.017   [154.006(m)]. The surcharge shall be collected from each   individual who holds a license [holder] for:                (1)  issuance of a first registration permit under this   subtitle; [and]                (2)  renewal of a registration permit under this   subtitle; and                (3)  issuance or renewal of a license.          SECTION 4.  Section 154.006(m), Occupations Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (m)  Not [The board shall run a continuous query on the   National Practitioner Data Bank and, not] later than the 10th   working day after the date the board finds any new information   resulting from a query on the National Practitioner Data Bank under   Section 153.017 with respect to a physician [is found], the board   shall update a physician's profile to:                (1)  include any new report or correction to a report of   disciplinary action against the physician; and                (2)  remove any report of disciplinary action against   the physician that has been dismissed or otherwise voided.          SECTION 5.  Section 167.001(6), Occupations Code, is amended   to read as follows:                (6)  "Program participant" means an individual [a   physician or physician assistant] who receives services under the   program.          SECTION 6.  Chapter 167, Occupations Code, is amended by   adding Section 167.0015 to read as follows:          Sec. 167.0015.  APPLICABILITY; MANNER OF PARTICIPATION.  (a)   Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter:                (1)  the program is a confidential, nondisciplinary   therapeutic program for any individual who holds a license,   certificate, registration, permit, or other authorization issued   by the board allowing the individual to engage in an occupation   regulated by the board; and                (2)  the program shall accept a self-referral from an   individual described by Subdivision (1).          (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,   other than Sections 167.009 and 167.0091, the board or an   appropriate advisory board or committee may make a referral to the   program and require participation in the program as a prerequisite   for issuing or maintaining a license, certificate, registration,   permit, or other authorization issued by the board allowing the   individual to engage in an occupation regulated by the board.          SECTION 7.  Section 153.053, Occupations Code, is   redesignated as Section 167.014, Occupations Code, and amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 167.014 [153.053].  SURCHARGE TO ADMINISTER TEXAS   PHYSICIAN HEALTH PROGRAM. (a)  The board shall collect an   additional surcharge not to exceed $15 for each of the following   fees:                (1)  first license, certificate, registration, permit,   or other form of authorization allowing an individual to engage in   an occupation regulated by the board; and                (2)  renewal of a form of authorization described by   Subdivision (1) [registration permit].          (b)  The board shall deposit each surcharge collected under   this section to the credit of the Texas physician health program   account.  The Texas physician health program account is a special   account in the general revenue fund. Money in the special account   shall be appropriated only to the board to pay for administration of   the Texas Physician Health Program under this chapter [Chapter   167], including paying for an initial evaluation by the program's   medical director or the director's designee.  Money in the special   account may not be used to pay for program participant costs   incurred for monitoring or for a program participant's own medical   costs, including any further required evaluations, primary   treatment, or continuing care.          SECTION 8.  (a) Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas   Medical Board shall adopt rules to implement the changes in law made   by this Act.          (b)  Section 153.055, Occupations Code, as amended by this   Act, and Section 167.014, Occupations Code, as redesignated and   amended by this Act, apply only to an application for the issuance   or renewal of a license, certificate, registration, permit, or   other authorization submitted on or after December 1, 2025.  An   application submitted before December 1, 2025, is governed by the   law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and   that former law is continued in effect for that purpose.          SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.     * * * * *