SRC-DPW S.B. 1377 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1377 76R7610 JMM-DBy: Shapleigh Human Services 4/12/1999 As Filed DIGEST Currently, Texas does not have a uniform training curriculum or certification program for health promoters or "promotoras." According to former Comptroller John Sharp's Bordering the Future: Challenge and Opportunity in the Texas Border Region, "having a uniform training and certification program would enable clinics, hospitals, and patients to know exactly what type of training promotoras have received. This bill would establish a training and regulation program for promotoras or persons who serve as bilingual liaisons between health care providers and patients. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1377 sets forth guidelines for the establishment and operation of a training, education, and regulation program for persons who act as bilingual liaisons between health care providers and patients RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Board of Health in SECTIONS 1 and 2(b) (Section 46.003, Health and Safety Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Title 2B, Health and Safety Code, by adding Chapter 46, as follows: CHAPTER 46. TRAINING AND REGULATION OF PROMOTORAS Sec. 46.001. DEFINITION. Defines "promotora." Sec. 46.002. PROMOTORA TRAINING PROGRAM. Requires the Texas Department of Health (department) to establish and operate a program designed to train and educate persons who act as promotoras. Requires the department to use the uniform curriculum for training and educating promotoras developed by the Health Education Training Centers Alliance of Texas, as a resource. Provides that participation in a training and education program under this section is voluntary. Sec. 46.003. CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FROM PROMOTORAS. Requires the department to establish and operate a certification program for promotoras. Requires the Texas Board of Health (board) to adopt rules that provide minimum standards and guidelines, including participation in the training and education program under Section 46.002, for issuance of a certificate to a person under this section. Prohibits the receipt of a certificate issued under this section from being a requirement for a person to act as a promotora. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Requires the department to establish the promotora training and certification program not later than January 1, 2000. Requires the board to adopt rules necessary not later than December 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.