1-1 By: Madla S.B. No. 519 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 9, 1995; February 13, 1995, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human 1-4 Services; April 5, 1995, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; 1-6 April 5, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 519 By: Madla 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to peer assistance and reporting programs for students 1-11 enrolled in certain professional educational programs. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Section 467.001, Health and Safety Code, is 1-14 amended by adding Subdivisions (7) and (8) to read as follows: 1-15 (7) "Student" means an individual enrolled in an 1-16 educational program or course of study leading to initial licensure 1-17 as a professional as such program or course of study is defined by 1-18 the appropriate licensing or disciplinary authority. 1-19 (8) "Impaired student" means a student whose ability 1-20 to perform the services of the profession for which the student is 1-21 preparing for licensure would be, or would reasonably be expected 1-22 to be, impaired by chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol or by 1-23 mental illness. 1-24 SECTION 2. Chapter 467, Health and Safety Code, is amended 1-25 by adding Section 467.0035 to read as follows: 1-26 Sec. 467.0035. PROVISION OF SERVICES TO STUDENTS. (a) An 1-27 approved peer assistance program may provide services to impaired 1-28 students. A program that elects to provide services to impaired 1-29 students is not required to provide the same services to those 1-30 students that it provides to impaired professionals. 1-31 (b) An approved peer assistance program that provides 1-32 services to students shall comply with any criteria for those 1-33 services that are adopted by the appropriate licensing or 1-34 disciplinary authority. 1-35 SECTION 3. Article 4525a, Revised Statutes, is amended by 1-36 adding Section 1B to read as follows: 1-37 Sec. 1B. REPORTS REGARDING NURSING STUDENTS. (a) A 1-38 professional nursing educational program or a registered nurse who 1-39 has reasonable cause to suspect that the ability of a professional 1-40 nursing student to perform the services of the nursing profession 1-41 would be, or would reasonably be expected to be, impaired by 1-42 chemical dependency shall report in a signed, written report to the 1-43 board the identity of the student and any additional information 1-44 required for such a report by the board. 1-45 (b) In lieu of reporting to the board, a registered nurse 1-46 required to report under this section may report the student to the 1-47 professional nursing educational program in which the student is 1-48 enrolled. 1-49 (c) In this section: 1-50 (1) "Professional nursing educational program" means a 1-51 board-accredited educational program leading to initial licensure 1-52 as a registered nurse. 1-53 (2) "Professional nursing student" means an individual 1-54 who is enrolled in a professional nursing educational program. 1-55 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 1-56 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 1-57 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-58 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-59 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-60 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-61 * * * * *