BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2609

By: Guillen

Human Services

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Persons who have been convicted of certain offenses are currently prohibited from obtaining employment at facilities serving the elderly or persons with disabilities. Further, for purposes of an employee misconduct registry, certain conduct of employees at certain health facilities is specified as "reportable conduct" in current law.  H.B. 2609 seeks to increase protections for the elderly or persons with disabilities who are served by certain facilities by expanding the applicability of the employment prohibition to include additional criminal offenses and expanding the definition of "reportable conduct" to include additional conduct. 

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

H.B. 2609 amends the Health and Safety Code to add a person who has been convicted of an offense of obstruction or retaliation to the list of persons barred from employment in certain facilities serving the elderly, persons with disabilities, or persons with terminal illness.  The bill makes nonsubstantive changes.

H.B. 2609 expands the definition of "reportable conduct," for purposes of provisions relating to the employee misconduct registry for certain health facilities, to include solicitation of a gift from a resident or consumer of a facility.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.