BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 29
By: Nelson
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Section 105.003, Health and Safety Code, requires the collection of non-specific information on health professionals and for nurses in Texas in particular. Under current law, there is a lack of comprehensive information regarding health professionals in Texas.
S.B. 29 directs state boards, agencies, or associations that certify, register, or license health professionals to obtain additional information regarding each health professional on behalf of the Statewide Health Coordinating Council (council). This information would allow the council to develop a clearer understanding of the current healthcare workforce and the potential needs thereof.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 105.003, Health and Safety Code, by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-1), (c-2), (c-3), (f), (g), and (h), as follows:
(c) Requires the Department of Information Resources (DIR), through TexasOnline and in consultation with the statewide health coordinating council (council) and the Health Professions Council (HPC), to add and label as "mandatory" certain fields on an application or renewal form for a license, certificate, or registration for a person subject to Subsection (c-2). Requires specific fields of information to be included in the data collected. Deletes existing text requiring that the criteria include trends or changes in license holders according to number or geographic distribution, specialty area, licensure or certification status, and their number and geographic distribution.
(c-1) Requires DIR, through TexasOnline and in consultation with the council and HPC, to add and label as "voluntary" certain fields on an application or renewal form for a license, certificate, or registration for a person subject to Subsection (c-2). Requires specific fields of information to be collected under this subsection.
(c-2) Sets forth the health professionals who are subject to this section.
(c-3) Requires the relevant members of HPC to encourage each person described by Subsection (c-2) licensed, certified, or registered under that council's authority to submit application and renewal information under Subsection (c) and (c-1) through the system developed by DIR and TexasOnline.
(f) Requires the relevant members of HPC, in conjunction with DIR, to ensure that the information collected under Subsections (c) and (c-1) is transmitted to the council. Requires the council to store the information as needed and conduct related workforce studies, including a determination of the geographical distribution of the reporting professionals.
(g) Requires the relevant members of HPC, in conjunction with DIR, to ensure that certain information is submitted to the council for a person subject to Subsection (c-2).
(h) Requires DIR to work with the health occupation regulatory agencies that are members of HPC to minimize the costs to HPC members of obtaining the information under Subsections (c) and (c-1). Requires DIR to provide HPC with the appropriate federal information processing standards code based on the information in Subsections (c-1)(8) and (9).
SECTION 2. Effective date: March 1, 2008.