By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1377 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to a promotora program under which persons who act as 1-2 bilingual liaisons between health care providers and patients are 1-3 trained and regulated. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Chapter 46 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 46. TRAINING AND REGULATION OF PROMOTORAS 1-8 Sec. 46.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "promotora" means 1-9 a person who, with or without compensation, provides a bilingual 1-10 liaison between health care providers and patients through 1-11 activities that include assisting in case conferences, providing 1-12 patient education, making referrals to health and social services, 1-13 conducting needs assessments, distributing surveys to identify 1-14 barriers to health care delivery, making home visits, and providing 1-15 language services. 1-16 Sec. 46.002. PROMOTORA TRAINING PROGRAM. (a) The 1-17 department shall establish and operate a program designed to train 1-18 and educate persons who act as promotoras. In establishing the 1-19 training program, the department, to the extent possible, shall use 1-20 as a resource the uniform curriculum for training and educating 1-21 promotoras developed by the Health Education Training Centers 1-22 Alliance of Texas. 1-23 (b) Participation in a training and education program 1-24 established under this section is voluntary. 2-1 Sec. 46.003. CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR PROMOTORAS. (a) The 2-2 department shall establish and operate a certification program for 2-3 persons who act as promotoras. In establishing the program, the 2-4 board shall adopt rules that provide minimum standards and 2-5 guidelines, including participation in the training and education 2-6 program under Section 46.002, for issuance of a certificate to a 2-7 person under this section. 2-8 (b) Receipt of a certificate issued under this section may 2-9 not be a requirement for a person to act as a promotora. 2-10 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-11 (b) The Texas Department of Health shall establish the 2-12 promotora training and certification program required by this Act 2-13 not later than January 1, 2000. The Texas Board of Health shall 2-14 adopt rules as necessary under this Act not later than December 1, 2-15 1999. 2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.