BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                   C.S.S.B. 37

80R5802 BEF-D                                                                                                               By: Nelson

                                                                                                                  Health & Human Services

                                                                                                                                              5/3/2007

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Current law still maintains provisions for the Office of Patient Protection (office), despite the fact that the office was disbanded in the 79th Legislature by a rider in the General Appropriations Bill.  Additionally, current law does not provide consumers a place they can call to find out where and how to file a complaint about a licensed health professional now that the office is defunct. 

 

C.S.S.B. 37 amends state law to remove all references to the Office of Patient Protection and to transfer the duties of that office to the Texas Information and Referral Network.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 531.0312(a), Government Code, as follows:

 

(a)  Designates the Texas Information and Referral Network (network), within the Health and Human Services Commission, as the program responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of a statewide information referral network that integrates existing community-based structures with state and local agencies. Requires the network to provide information to the public about the complaint process at each licensing agency within the Health Professions Council listed in Section 101.002 (Composition of Council), Occupations Code (licensing agency).  Requires the network to assist consumers in obtaining information about the status of complaints at each licensing agency. 

 

SECTION 2. Transfers and redesignates Section 101.307, Occupations Code, as Section 531.0272, Government Code, and amends it, as follows:

 

Sec. 531.0272. New heading: FUNDING OF TEXAS INFORMATION REFERRAL NETWORK.  (a)  Provides that the purpose of this section is to establish funding for the network.  Makes conforming changes. Increases by $5 the initial licensing or registration fees charged by each licensing agency within the council. Increases by $1 the renewal fee charged by each agency within the council for every year a license or registration is renewed.

 

(b)  Requires fee increases authorized under this section to be deposited in a special account in the general revenue fund and authorizes appropriations from that account only for certain purposes. Deletes existing text relating to the expenditure of the fees collected under this section.

 

SECTION 3. Repealer: Sections 101.301 through 101.306, Occupations Code (relating to the

Office of Patient Protection).

 

SECTION 4. Repealer: Subchapter heading to Subchapter G (Office of Patient Protection), Chapter 101, Occupations Code. 

 

SECTION 5. Makes application of Section 531.0272, Government Code, as amended by this

Act, prospective to October 1, 2007.

 

SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2007.