The board may and sometimes must discipline medical license holders and physicians by revoking, suspending, denying, limiting, reprimanding, or otherwise sanctioning licenses, and it must set and use a sanctions schedule.
Sec. 164.001. DISCIPLINARY AUTHORITY OF BOARD; METHODS OF DISCIPLINE. (a) Except for good cause shown, the board, on determining a violation of this subtitle or a board rule or for any cause for which the board may refuse to admit a person to its examination or to issue or renew a license, including an initial conviction or the initial finding of the trier of fact of guilt of a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, shall: (1) revoke or suspend a license; (2) place on probation a person whose license is suspended; or (3) reprimand a license holder. (b) Except as otherwise provided by Sections 164.057 and 164.058, the board, on determining that a person committed an act described by Sections 164.051 through 164.054, shall enter an order to: (1) deny the person's application for a license or other authorization to practice medicine; (2) administer a public reprimand; (3) suspend, limit, or restrict the person's license or other authorization to practice medicine, including: (A) limiting the practice of the person to or excluding one or more specified activities of medicine; or (B) stipulating periodic board review; (4) revoke the person's license or other authorization to practice medicine; (5) require the person to submit to care, counseling, or treatment of physicians designated by the board as a condition for: (A) the issuance or renewal of a license or other authorization to practice medicine; or (B) continued practice under a license; (6) require the person to participate in an educational or counseling program prescribed by the board; (7) require the person to practice under the direction of a physician designated by the board for a specified period; (8) require the person to perform public service considered appropriate by the board; or (9) assess an administrative penalty against the person as provided by Section 165.001. (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the board shall revoke, suspend, or deny a physician's license if the board determines that, through the practice of medicine, the physician poses a continuing threat to the public welfare. (d) In addition to any other disciplinary action authorized by this section, the board may issue a written reprimand to a license holder who violates this subtitle or require that a license holder who violates this subtitle participate in continuing education programs. The board shall specify the continuing education programs to be attended and the number of hours that must be completed by the license holder to fulfill the requirements of this subsection. (e) For any sanction imposed under this chapter as the result of a hearing conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, that office shall use the schedule of sanctions adopted by board rule. (f) The board by rule shall adopt a schedule of the disciplinary sanctions that the board may impose under this subchapter. In adopting the schedule of sanctions, the board shall ensure that the severity of the sanction imposed is appropriate to the type of violation or conduct that is the basis for disciplinary action. (g) In determining the appropriate disciplinary action, including the amount of any administrative penalty to assess, the board shall consider whether the person: (1) is being disciplined for multiple violations of this subtitle or a rule or order adopted under this subtitle; or (2) has previously been the subject of disciplinary action by the board. (h) In the case of a person described by: (1) Subsection (g)(1), the board shall consider taking a more severe disciplinary action, including revocation of the person's license, than the disciplinary action that would be taken for a single violation; and (2) Subsection (g)(2), the board shall consider revoking the person's license if the person has repeatedly been the subject of disciplinary action by the board. (i) If the board chooses not to revoke the license of a person described by Subsection (g)(2), the board shall consider taking a more severe disciplinary action than the disciplinary action previously taken. (j) In determining the appropriate disciplinary action, including the amount of any administrative penalty to impose, the board shall consider whether the violation relates directly to patient care or involves only an administrative violation. Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 202, Sec. 26, eff. June 10, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 269 (S.B. 419), Sec. 1.34, eff. September 1, 2005.