BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 952
79R10939 MSE-F By: Delisi (Barrientos)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
There has been an advance practical nurse clinic in operation at the Texas Capitol for several years and it has been proven to be both convenient and cost-effective. The same benefits should accrue at advance practical nurse clinics located at other large state office complexes.
H.B. 952 establishes a pilot program to create such a clinic for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, by adding Chapter 671, as follows:
CHAPTER 671. HEALTH SERVICES IN STATE OFFICE COMPLEXES
Sec. 671.001. NURSE PRACTITIONER IN STATE OFFICE COMPLEXES; PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), to reduce the cost of health care and increase the productivity of state employees, to develop and implement a pilot program to make available a licensed advanced practice nurse to provide authorized on-site health services at a selected location to state employees who choose to make use of the services.
(b) Sets forth requirements for the pilot program.
(c) Requires the board of trustees of ERS to adopt rules necessary for implementation of this section and to seek the assistance of state agencies as necessary for the implementation of this chapter.
(d) Requires ERS to determine whether it is more efficient to pay directly for some or all of the expenses associated with implementing this chapter or to reimburse expenses through an interagency agreement as the expenses are incurred by an agency participating in the program.
(e) Authorizes ERS to order the pilot program continued or expanded to cover more state office complexes on finding the pilot program has proved beneficial in meeting the health care needs of state employees and continuation or expansion of the pilot program is economically beneficial.
SECTION 2. (a) Requires the board of trustees of ERS, as soon as possible after the effective date of this Act, to adopt rules as required by Section 671.001, Government Code, as added by this Act.
(b) Requires ERS, not later than the 90th day after the date rules are adopted in accordance with Subsection (a) of this section, to begin the pilot program at the headquarters of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, located on the Park 35 campus in Austin, Texas.
(c) Requires ERS, not later than December 31, 2006, to issue a report containing a summary of employee participation rates, a costs and benefits analysis, and legislative recommendations concerning the future of the pilot program established under Chapter 671, Government Code, as added by this Act, to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and standing committees of the senate and house of representatives having jurisdiction over state spending issues and standing committees of the senate and house of representatives having jurisdiction over health and human services issues.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2005.