By Madla S.B. No. 519 74R5278 PB-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to peer assistance and reporting programs for students 1-3 enrolled in certain professional educational programs. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 467.001, Health and Safety Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Subdivisions (7) and (8) to read as follows: 1-7 (7) "Student" means an individual enrolled in an 1-8 educational program or course of study leading to initial licensure 1-9 as a professional. 1-10 (8) "Impaired student" means a student whose ability 1-11 to perform the services of the profession for which the student is 1-12 preparing for licensure would be, or would reasonably be expected 1-13 to be, impaired by chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol or by 1-14 mental illness. 1-15 SECTION 2. Chapter 467, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-16 by adding Section 467.0035 to read as follows: 1-17 Sec. 467.0035. PROVISION OF SERVICES TO STUDENTS. (a) An 1-18 approved peer assistance program may provide services to impaired 1-19 students. A program that elects to provide services to impaired 1-20 students is not required to provide the same level of services to 1-21 those students that it provides to impaired professionals. 1-22 (b) An approved peer assistance program that provides 1-23 services to students shall comply with any criteria for those 1-24 services that are adopted by the appropriate licensing authority. 2-1 SECTION 3. Article 4525a, Revised Statutes, is amended by 2-2 adding Section 1B to read as follows: 2-3 Sec. 1B. REPORTS REGARDING NURSING STUDENTS. (a) A 2-4 professional nursing educational program or a registered nurse who 2-5 has reasonable cause to suspect that the ability of a professional 2-6 nursing student to perform the services of the nursing profession 2-7 would be, or would reasonably be expected to be, impaired by 2-8 chemical dependency shall report in a signed, written report to the 2-9 board the identity of the student and any additional information 2-10 required for such a report by the board. 2-11 (b) In lieu of reporting to the board, a registered nurse 2-12 required to report under this section may report the student to the 2-13 professional nursing educational program in which the student is 2-14 enrolled. 2-15 (c) In this section: 2-16 (1) "Professional nursing educational program" means a 2-17 board-accredited educational program leading to initial licensure 2-18 as a registered nurse. 2-19 (2) "Professional nursing student" means an individual 2-20 who is enrolled in a professional nursing educational program. 2-21 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 2-22 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.