1-1 By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1377 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 15, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Human Services; 1-4 April 15, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, 1-5 Nays 0; April 15, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to a promotora program under which persons who act as 1-9 bilingual liaisons between health care providers and patients are 1-10 trained and regulated. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is 1-13 amended by adding Chapter 46 to read as follows: 1-14 CHAPTER 46. TRAINING AND REGULATION OF PROMOTORAS 1-15 Sec. 46.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "promotora" means 1-16 a person who, with or without compensation, provides a bilingual 1-17 liaison between health care providers and patients through 1-18 activities that include assisting in case conferences, providing 1-19 patient education, making referrals to health and social services, 1-20 conducting needs assessments, distributing surveys to identify 1-21 barriers to health care delivery, making home visits, and providing 1-22 language services. 1-23 Sec. 46.002. PROMOTORA TRAINING PROGRAM. (a) The 1-24 department shall establish and operate a program designed to train 1-25 and educate persons who act as promotoras. In establishing the 1-26 training program, the department, to the extent possible, shall use 1-27 as a resource the uniform curriculum for training and educating 1-28 promotoras developed by the Health Education Training Centers 1-29 Alliance of Texas. 1-30 (b) Participation in a training and education program 1-31 established under this section is voluntary. 1-32 Sec. 46.003. CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR PROMOTORAS. (a) The 1-33 department shall establish and operate a certification program for 1-34 persons who act as promotoras. In establishing the program, the 1-35 board shall adopt rules that provide minimum standards and 1-36 guidelines, including participation in the training and education 1-37 program under Section 46.002, for issuance of a certificate to a 1-38 person under this section. 1-39 (b) Receipt of a certificate issued under this section may 1-40 not be a requirement for a person to act as a promotora. 1-41 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-42 (b) The Texas Department of Health shall establish the 1-43 promotora training and certification program required by this Act 1-44 not later than January 1, 2000. The Texas Board of Health shall 1-45 adopt rules as necessary under this Act not later than December 1, 1-46 1999. 1-47 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-48 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-49 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-50 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-51 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-52 * * * * *