| TO: | Honorable Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair, Senate Committee on International Relations & Trade |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB4353 by Gonzales (Relating to the licensing of certain nurses who will practice in border counties.), As Engrossed |
The bill would authorize the Board of Nursing to issue a license to a person licensed to practice nursing in Mexico if the person: (1) graduated from an accredited nursing program in Mexico; (2) provides a report acceptable to the board issued by a credentials evaluation service approved by the board; (3) applies on the prescribed application and pays the application fee; (4) has received a score of at least 475 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam; (5) has received a score acceptable to the board on the English version of the appropriate National Council Licensure Examination; (6) is eligible for employment in the United States; and (7) will practice nursing in a county that borders Mexico. The Board of Nursing currently issues licenses to eligible nurses with international qualifications, but requires a higher TOEFL score. The bill would require the Board of Nursing to adopt rules to conform existing rules to the new TOEFL score requirement.
Based on the analysis of the Board of Nursing, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 507 Texas Board of Nursing
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, ES
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