S.B. No. 2480 amends the Texas Occupations Code to enhance the funding and administration of the Texas Physician Health Program and to establish surcharges related to licensing fees. The bill introduces a new section, 153.053, which allows the Texas Medical Board to collect an additional surcharge of up to $15 for the issuance and renewal of registration permits. The collected surcharges will be deposited into a special account dedicated to the Texas Physician Health Program, which will be used solely for its administration, including initial evaluations by the program's medical director. Notably, the funds cannot be used for participant monitoring costs or personal medical expenses.

Additionally, the bill adds Section 153.055, which mandates the board to set and collect a surcharge for administering continuous queries on the National Practitioner Data Bank, also applicable to the issuance and renewal of registration permits. Similar to the previous section, the surcharges collected under this provision will be deposited into a designated public assurance account. Both sections include provisions that authorize the board to collect these surcharges from all individuals licensed and regulated by the board, including advisory boards and committees. The act is set to take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds vote from both houses or on September 1, 2025, if such a vote is not achieved.

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