HBA-MPM S.B. 1833 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1833 By: Jackson Public Health 5/2/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) regulates the disposal of biomedical waste in home health and community support service agencies. S.B. 1833 requires an agency that generates special or medical waste while providing home health services in a client's place or residence or the agency's office location to comply with TDH rules relating to the disposition of special medical waste. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 142A, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section142.020, as follows: Sec. 142.020. DISPOSAL OF SPECIAL OR MEDICAL WASTE. Requires that a home and community support services agency (agency) that generates special or medical waste while providing home health services must dispose of the waste in the same manner that the agency disposes special or medical waste generated in the agency's office location. Requires an agency to provide both verbal and written instructions to the agency's client regarding proper procedure for disposing of sharps. Sets forth instruments considered to be sharps, such as certain hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpel blades, razors, and scissors. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.