(a) Definitions.
  (1) Community Health Center. A nonprofit corporation under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act and §501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is organized and operated as either:
    (A) a migrant, community, or homeless health center under the authority of and in compliance with 42 U.S.C. §254b or §254c; or
    (B) a federally qualified health center under 42 U.S.C. §1396d(l)(2)(B).
  (2) Application for Certification by Board. A completed application contains:
    (A) the completed application form provided by the Board,
    (B) the certificate of incorporation under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act;
    (C) documentation that the organization is tax exempt under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and,
    (D) documentation that the organization is organized and operated as a migrant, community, or homeless health center under the authority of and in compliance with 42 U.S.C. §254b or §254c, or is a federally qualified health center under 42 U.S.C. §1396d(1)(2)(B).
  (3) Certified Community Health Center. A community health center certified by the Board as making application and meeting the requirements of this section and therefore authorized to employ an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist. A certified community health center shall annually report to the Board the status of the community health center under paragraph (1) of this subsection, and shall notify the Board immediately if the health center no longer meets the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection. The Board shall remove the certification granted if the community health center does not meet the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(b) Section 351.367 of the Optometry Act authorizes an optometrist or therapeutic optometrist to contract with or be employed by a certified community health center to practice optometry and therapeutic optometry.

Source Note: The provisions of this §273.13 adopted to be effective December 24, 2009, 34 TexReg 9211