BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                 C.S.S.B. 198

80R5847 TAD-D                                                                                                              By: Nelson

                                                                                                                  Health & Human Services

                                                                                                                                              2/7/2007

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Under current law, there is not a program in place to recognize hospitals with outstanding nursing programs. In addition, information relating to a hospital's nursing program is not required to be made available to the general public.

 

C.S.S.B. 198 directs the statewide health coordinating council (council) to create a program recognizing hospitals with strong nursing programs and authorizes the council to make information on such programs available to the public.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 104.018, Health and Safety Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety Code, by adding Sections 104.017 and 104.018, as follows:

 

Sec. 104.017. RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING HOSPITAL NURSING PROGRAMS. (a) Requires the statewide health coordinating council (council) to establish a program to annually recognize hospitals with outstanding nursing programs.

 

(b) Provides the criteria for the council to use in the determination of a hospital's eligibility.

 

(c) Requires the criteria used under Subsection (b) to be made available on the council's website and to a hospital on request.

 

(d) Requires the council to recognize a hospital with an outstanding nursing program in a certain manner.

 

Sec. 104.018. LISTING OF HOSPITAL NURSING STAFF INFORMATION. (a) Requires the council to create and maintain a list of information contained on the reports submitted under Subsection (b) on its website.

 

(b) Authorizes, but does not require, a hospital to annually report certain information to the council.

 

(c) Requires the report to be in a form prescribed by the council.

 

(d) Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to adopt rules to implement this section.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2007.