BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 1525
By: Zaffirini
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Texas suffers from a shortage of nurses in both hospitals and nursing homes. This shortage could be partially addressed by instituting practices that will make the profession safer for nurses and patients.
C.S.S.B. 1525 encourages safe patient handling in the nursing work environment and by doing so creates a better, safer practice environment for nurses and their patients. Such an environment will help attract and retain nurses and also help nurses extend their careers in direct patient care. C.S.S.B. 1525 applies to hospitals and nursing homes because that is where most high-risk patient handling occurs.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subtitle B, Title 4, Health and Safety Code, by adding Chapter 256, as follows:
CHAPTER 256. SAFE PATIENT HANDLING AND MOVEMENT PRACTICES
Sec. 256.001. DEFINITIONS. Defines "hospital" and "nursing home."
Sec. 256.002. REQUIRED SAFE PATIENT HANDLING AND MOVEMENT POLICY. (a) Requires the governing body of a hospital or nursing home to adopt and ensure implementation of a policy to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control risk of injury to patients and nurses associated with lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient.
(b) Sets forth minimum requirements for the process the policy establishes.
SECTION 2. Effective date: January 1, 2006.