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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study of the practice of advanced practice registered |
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nurses and the authority of those nurses to prescribe and order |
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prescription drugs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY OF INDEPENDENT PRACTICE OF |
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ADVANCED PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSES. (a) The speaker of the house |
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of representatives and the lieutenant governor shall issue a joint |
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interim charge to the standing committees of the house of |
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representatives and senate with jurisdiction over health care |
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professionals to conduct a joint study as described by Subsection |
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(b). |
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(b) The study shall examine the independent practice of |
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advanced practice registered nurses to perform basic emergency and |
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non-emergency health care services and preventive health care |
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services within the scope of the health care providers' practice |
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and license, including: |
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(1) the potential cost savings of health care |
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providers who are not physicians performing these health care |
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services; |
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(2) the impact on access to health care services for |
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underserved communities and health professional shortage areas; |
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(3) any projected impact on patient safety and the |
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quality of care for persons treated by health care providers who are |
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not physicians; |
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(4) the effect on the state's overall health care |
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system; and |
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(5) the potential cost savings and other foreseeable |
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consequences of expanding the authority of advanced practice |
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registered nurses to prescribe medication to patients. |
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(c) Not later than January 1, 2013, the committees shall |
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report the committees' findings and recommendations to the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and the governor. The committees shall include in their |
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recommendations specific changes to statutes and agency rules that |
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may be necessary according to the results of the committees' study |
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conducted under this section. |
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(d) Not later than November 1, 2011, the lieutenant governor |
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and the speaker of the house of representatives shall issue the |
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joint interim charge required by this section. |
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(e) This section expires January 1, 2013. |
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SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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1, 2011. |