AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
S.B. 1289 provides clarity and transparency for patients when they visit a health care practitioner. Due to the rapid increase of professional and quasi-professional titles employing the term "doctor," patients are often confused about the training and education of health care practitioners.
This bill ensures that patients are promptly and clearly informed of the training and qualifications of their health care practitioner. The bill amends the Texas Occupations Code to require a health care practitioner to wear a photo identification badge in a conspicuous manner during all patient encounters, unless precluded by adopted sterilization or isolation protocols.
The photo identification badge must be of sufficient size to be visible and must clearly state the practitioner's name, the type of license held by the practitioner, and the wearer's status as a student, resident, or intern if the practitioner does not yet hold a license.
Lastly, a health care practitioner who violates this requirement will be considered in violation of the law regulating the health care profession in which the person is engaged.
As proposed, S.B. 1289 amends current law relating to the requirement that health care practitioners wear photo identification badges.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends the heading to Chapter 112, Occupations Code, to read as follows:
CHAPTER 112. GENERAL LICENSING AND PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO MULTIPLE HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS
SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 112, Occupations Code, by adding Subchapter C, as follows:
SUBCHAPTER C. GENERAL PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS
Sec. 112.101. PHOTO IDENTIFICATION BADGE REQUIRED. (a) Defines, in this section, "health care practitioner."
(b) Requires a health care practitioner to wear a photo identification badge in a conspicuous manner during all patient encounters, unless precluded by adopted sterilization or isolation protocols. Requires that the badge be of sufficient size to be visible and must clearly state:
(1) the practitioner's name;
(2) the type of license held by the practitioner, if the practitioner holds a license under this title; and
(3) the wearer's status as a student, resident, or intern if the practitioner does not hold a license under this title.
(c) Requires a person who violates this section to be considered to be in violation of the law regulating the health care profession in which the person is engaged.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2011.