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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the health professions resource center; increasing a |
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fee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 105.002, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows: |
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(d) To the extent funding is available through fees |
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collected under Section 505.203(d), Occupations Code, the council |
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shall establish a social work resource section within the center |
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for the collection and analysis of educational and employment |
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trends for social workers in this state. |
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(e) If the social work resource section established under |
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Subsection (d) is funded from surcharges collected under Section |
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505.203(d), Occupations Code, the council shall provide the Texas |
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State Board of Social Worker Examiners with an annual accounting of |
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the money received from the board. The council may expend a |
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reasonable amount of the money to pay administrative costs of |
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maintaining the social work resource section. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 105.003(a), (c-1), (d), and (e), Health |
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and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The council shall place a high priority on collecting |
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and disseminating data on health professions demonstrating an acute |
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shortage in this state, including: |
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(1) data concerning nursing personnel; [and] |
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(2) data concerning social workers; and |
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(3) data concerning the health professions in which |
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shortages occur in rural areas and areas near the international |
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border. |
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(c-1) The Department of Information Resources, through the |
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state electronic Internet portal and in consultation with the |
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council and the Health Professions Council, shall add the following |
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fields on an application or renewal form for a license, |
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certificate, or registration for a person subject to Subsection |
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(c-2): |
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(1) date and place of birth; |
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(2) sex; |
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(3) race and ethnicity; |
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(4) location of high school; |
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(5) mailing address of primary practice; |
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(6) number of hours per week spent at primary practice |
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location; |
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(7) description of primary practice setting; |
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(8) primary practice information, including primary |
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specialty practice, practice location zip code, and county; [and] |
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(9) information regarding any additional practice, |
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including description of practice setting, practice location zip |
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code, and county; and |
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(10) a description of the person's language fluency. |
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(d) To the extent feasible, the council shall use a |
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researcher with a doctorate in nursing to collect, analyze, and |
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disseminate nursing data that may be used to predict supply and |
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demand for nursing personnel in this state using appropriate |
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federal or state supply-and-demand models. To the extent feasible, |
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the council shall use a researcher with a degree from a master's |
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social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work |
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Education and a doctorate in social work to collect, analyze, and |
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disseminate social work data that may be used to predict supply and |
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demand for social work personnel in this state using appropriate |
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federal or state supply-and-demand models. The nursing and social |
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work data must at least: |
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(1) include demographics, areas of practice, supply, |
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demand, and migration; and |
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(2) be analyzed to identify trends relating to numbers |
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and geographical distribution, practice setting, and area of |
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practice and, to the extent possible, compare those trends with |
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corresponding national trends. |
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(e) Data received under this section by the nursing resource |
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section or the social work resource section established under |
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Section 105.002 that contains information identifying specific |
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patients or health care facilities is confidential, is not subject |
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to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, and may not be |
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released unless all identifying information is removed. |
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SECTION 3. Section 105.004(b), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) The council shall publish reports regarding the data |
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collected and analyzed under this chapter related to: |
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(1) the educational and employment trends of nursing |
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and social work professionals; |
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(2) the supply and demand of nursing and social work |
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professionals; and |
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(3) other issues, as determined necessary by the |
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council, concerning nursing or social work professionals in this |
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state. |
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SECTION 4. Section 505.203, Occupations Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the |
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amount of the fee to renew a social worker license is increased by |
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$10. The board may use six cents from the amount of the surcharge |
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under this subsection to cover the administrative costs of |
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collecting and depositing the surcharge. The board quarterly shall |
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transmit the remainder of each surcharge to the Department of State |
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Health Services to be used only to fund the social work resource |
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section under Section 105.002, Health and Safety Code. The board is |
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not required to collect the surcharge if the board determines that |
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the money collected is not appropriated to fund the social work |
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resource section. |
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SECTION 5. Section 505.203(d), Occupations Code, as added |
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by this Act, applies only to a license renewed on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. A license renewed before the effective |
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date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the |
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license was renewed, and the former law is continued in effect for |
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that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |