(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly offers to pay or agrees to accept, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly any remuneration in cash or in kind to or from another for securing or soliciting a patient or patronage for or from a person licensed, certified, or registered by a state health care regulatory agency.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

Attorney's Note

Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A misdemeanorup to 1 yearup to $4,000
For details, see Texas Penal Code § 12.21

Terms Used In Texas Occupations Code 102.001

  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(c) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person:
(1) has previously been convicted of an offense under this section; or
(2) was employed by a federal, state, or local government at the time of the offense.