BILL ANALYSIS
By: Nelson
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
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.
C.S.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 (SHCC). This information would allow the council to develop a clearer understanding of the current healthcare workforce and the potential needs thereof.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.S.B. 29 requires that the Department of Information Resources (DIR), through TexasOnline and in consultation with the Statewide Health Coordinating Council (SHCC) and the Health Professions Council (HPC), add and label as "mandatory" certain specified fields on an application or renewal form for a license, certificate, or registration for certain health professionals.
C.S.S.B. 29 requires that DIR, through TexasOnline and in consultation with SHCC and HPC, add certain specified fields on an application or renewal form for a license, certificate, or registration for certain health professionals.
C.S.S.B. 29 requires that the members of the HPC encourage certain health professionals covered by the bill to submit certain application and renewal information through the system developed by DIR and TexasOnline.
C.S.S.B. 29 requires certain members of the HPC, in conjunction with DIR, to ensure that certain information collected under the bill is transmitted to the statewide health coordinating council (SHCC). SHCC is required to store the information as needed and conduct certain studies.
C.S.S.B. 29 requires certain members of the HPC, in conjunction with DIR, to ensure that certain information is submitted to the SHCC for certain persons.
C.S.S.B. 29 requires DIR to work with the health occupation regulatory agencies that are members of the HPC to minimize the costs to HPC of obtaining certain information under the bill. DIR is required to provide HPC with the appropriate federal information processing standards code based on certain information collected under the bill.
EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act takes effect on March 1, 2008.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute makes the bill applicable only to certain specified health professionals.
The substitute removes the requirement for a field, labeled as mandatory, regarding certain certification, registration, or licensure information.
The substitute removes the requirement that certain fields be labeled as voluntary.
The substitute requires that there be a field for certain information regarding any practice in addition to the professional's primary practice, whereas the bill as engrossed by the senate only required that there be a field regarding certain secondary practice information.
The substitute requires that "the relevant members", rather than "the members", as in the bill as engrossed by the senate, of the HPC encourage certain persons to submit certain application and renewal information through the system developed by DIR and TexasOnline.
The substitute adds the requirement that the relevant members of the HPC, in conjunction with DIR, ensure that certain information is submitted to SHCC for certain persons.
The substitute adds a requirement that DIR provide the HPC with the appropriate federal information processing standards code based on certain information collected under the bill.