BILL ANALYSIS


                                                     C.S.S.B. 519
                                                        By: Madla
                                        Health and Human Services
                                                           4-6-95
                                   Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

Since the 69th Legislature in 1985, the Texas Legislature has been
authorizing various licensing agencies to establish or approve peer
assistance programs as an interim measure before taking an adverse
action against a licensee who is impaired by chemical dependency or
drugs or alcohol or by mental illness. These programs have proven
successful.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.S.B. 519 provides peer assistance and reporting
programs for students enrolled in certain professional educational
programs.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 467.001, Health and Safety Code, by
adding Subdivisions (7) and (8), to define "student" and "impaired
student."

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 467, Health and Safety Code, by adding
Section 467.0035, as follows:

     Sec. 467.0035. PROVISION OF SERVICES TO STUDENTS. (a)
     Authorizes an approved peer assistance program to provide
     services to impaired students. Provides that a program that
     elects to provide services to impaired students is not
     required to provide the same level of services to those
     students that it provides to impaired professionals.
     
     (b) Requires an approved peer assistance program that
       provides services to students to comply with any criteria
       for those services that are adopted by the appropriate
       licensing or disciplinary authority.
       
       SECTION 3.   Amends Article 4525a, V.T.C.S., by adding Section 1B,
as follows:

     Sec. 1B. REPORTS REGARDING NURSING STUDENTS. (a) Requires a
     professional nursing educational program or a registered nurse
     who has cause to suspect that the ability of a professional
     nursing student to perform the services of the nursing
     profession would be impaired by chemical dependency to report
     to the Board of Nurse Examiners (board) the identity of the
     student and additional information required for such a report
     by the board.
     
     (b) Authorizes a registered nurse required to report under
       this section to report the student to the professional
       nursing educational program in which the student is enrolled
       in lieu of reporting to the board.
       
       (c) Defines "professional nursing educational program" and
       "professional nursing student."
       
       SECTION 4.   Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 5. Emergency clause.