By:  Moncrief, Zaffirini                              S.B. No. 1100
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the establishment and operation of pilot centers for
 1-3     the advancement of quality in long-term care.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 61.088 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 61.088.  PILOT CENTERS FOR ADVANCEMENT OF QUALITY IN
 1-8     LONG-TERM CARE.  (a)  The governing board of the University of
 1-9     North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the governing
1-10     board of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center each
1-11     shall establish at the respective health science center a pilot
1-12     center for the advancement of quality in long-term care for the
1-13     purpose of:
1-14                 (1)  identifying opportunities for research, education,
1-15     and outreach programs designed to improve the quality of care in
1-16     long-term care facilities; and
1-17                 (2)  implementing and evaluating those research,
1-18     education, and outreach programs.
1-19           (b)  Each pilot center shall:
1-20                 (1)  identify existing consumer-centered clinical and
1-21     quality-of-life assessment protocols and develop new such
1-22     assessment protocols;
1-23                 (2)  evaluate the assessment protocols described by
1-24     Subdivision (1);
1-25                 (3)  identify existing consumer-centered clinical and
 2-1     quality-of-life care protocols and develop new such care protocols;
 2-2                 (4)  evaluate the care protocols described by
 2-3     Subdivision (3);
 2-4                 (5)  evaluate the role of reimbursement and financial
 2-5     incentives in improving the quality of care in long-term care
 2-6     facilities;
 2-7                 (6)  serve as training sites for physicians, registered
 2-8     nurses, licensed vocational nurses, nursing assistants, long-term
 2-9     care facility administrators, therapists, social workers, and
2-10     long-term care facility surveyors and investigators;
2-11                 (7)  evaluate the role of telecommunications technology
2-12     in improving the quality of care in long-term care facilities in
2-13     remote or underserved areas; and
2-14                 (8)  develop best practices that can be taught and
2-15     appropriately replicated in long-term care facilities.
2-16           (c)  Each pilot center shall establish a multidisciplinary
2-17     leadership team to coordinate the activities across the pilot
2-18     centers to:
2-19                 (1)  establish uniformity in information and best
2-20     practices; and
2-21                 (2)  disseminate in conjunction with appropriate state
2-22     agencies and long-term care professional organizations:
2-23                       (A)  the assessment and care protocols described
2-24     by Subsections (b)(1) and (3); and
2-25                       (B)  informational materials regarding the
2-26     professional, organizational, and managerial capacities necessary
 3-1     to advance the quality of care in long-term care facilities.
 3-2           SECTION 2.  Not later than December 1, 2002, the governing
 3-3     boards establishing pilot centers under Section 61.088, Education
 3-4     Code, as added by this Act, shall provide to the legislature a
 3-5     joint written report on the activities conducted by the pilot
 3-6     centers under that section.
 3-7           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 3-8     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 3-9     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
3-10     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
3-11     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.