BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1989

By: Gallego

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, the law governing sexual assault prevention and crisis services requires the attorney general to adopt rules establishing minimum standards for the certification of a sexual assault training program and sexual assault nurse examiner but does not explicitly address the attorney general's rulemaking authority for certification renewal by the program or nurse examiner.  H.B. 1989 specifies the attorney general's rulemaking authority relating to certification renewal for sexual assault training programs and sexual assault nurse examiners.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the attorney general in SECTIONS 2 and 3 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1989 amends the Government Code to require the attorney general, not later than December 1, 2011, to adopt rules establishing minimum standards for the renewal of a sexual assault training program's certification and of a sexual assault nurse examiner's certification. The bill redefines "sexual assault nurse examiner," for purposes of provisions of law relating to sexual assault prevention and crisis services, as a registered nurse who is certified according to minimum standards prescribed by attorney general rule, in addition to having completed a service-approved examiner training course.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.