84R5087 CJC-F
 
  By: Dutton H.B. No. 4110
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to implementation of a workplace violence prevention plan
  in certain hospitals; providing an administrative penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 311, Health and Safety Code, is amended
  by adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER G. WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN
         Sec. 311.101.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Department" means the Department of State Health
  Services.
               (2)  "Executive commissioner" means the executive
  commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
               (3)  "Hospital" means:
                     (A)  a general hospital or special hospital
  licensed under Chapter 241 or exempt from licensure under Section
  241.004(3); or 
                     (B)  a private mental hospital licensed under
  Chapter 577.
         Sec. 311.102.  WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN. (a) The
  executive commissioner by rule shall establish policies and
  procedures to require each hospital to develop and implement a
  workplace violence prevention plan to protect health care providers
  and hospital employees from violent behavior occurring at the
  hospital.
         (b)  In establishing the policies and procedures required
  under Subsection (a), the executive commissioner shall:
               (1)  adopt a definition of "workplace violence" that
  must include:
                     (A)  an act of physical force by a hospital
  patient or a person accompanying the patient against a health care
  provider or hospital employee that results in, or is likely to
  result in, physical injury, psychological trauma, or stress,
  regardless of whether the health care provider or hospital employee
  sustains an actual injury; and
                     (B)  an incident involving the use of a firearm or
  other dangerous weapon, regardless of whether a health care
  provider or hospital employee is injured by the weapon;
               (2)  prescribe minimum standards for a hospital
  workplace violence prevention plan that must:
                     (A)  require that a hospital's health care
  providers, permanent employees, and, if applicable, temporary
  employees, who provide direct patient care receive the training
  described by Subsection (c)(1) at least annually;
                     (B)  prescribe a system for responding to and
  investigating violent incidents or potentially violent incidents
  at a hospital;
                     (C)  address factors that may increase or decrease
  incidents of workplace violence at a hospital, including:
                           (i)  the hospital's staffing plans and
  patient classification systems;
                           (ii)  the hospital's security or emergency
  response system, including the alarm system, an alert system, and
  the availability of security personnel;
                           (iii)  security risks associated with public
  access to specific areas of the hospital and the area surrounding
  the hospital; and
                           (iv)  security concerns associated with
  particular types of hospital employment, equipment, and
  facilities; and
                     (D)  require a hospital to solicit input from
  health care providers, hospital employees, and, if applicable, the
  provider's and employee's collective bargaining agents, when
  developing and implementing a workplace violence prevention plan;
  and
               (3)  establish criteria to ensure that a workplace
  violence prevention plan developed by a hospital is suitable given
  the hospital's needs and resources.
         (c)  The department shall:
               (1)  develop a workplace violence prevention training
  program designed to educate health care providers and hospital
  employees about the following topics:
                     (A)  recognizing the potential for violence;
                     (B)  appropriately responding to violent
  incidents;
                     (C)  seeking assistance to prevent or to respond
  to a violent incident;
                     (D)  reporting violent incidents to appropriate
  law enforcement authorities; and
                     (E)  identifying the resources that are available
  to health care providers and hospital employees subjected to a
  violent incident, including critical incident stress debriefing
  and other employee assistance programs; and
               (2)  require each hospital to electronically submit the
  hospital's workplace violence prevention plan to the department
  each year for review to ensure the plan remains effective and
  appropriate for that hospital.
         Sec. 311.103.  ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN BY
  HOSPITAL. The governing body of a hospital shall:
               (1)  adopt and implement a workplace violence
  prevention plan that meets the minimum standards prescribed by
  Section 311.102;
               (2)  electronically submit the plan to the department
  each year for review by the department; and
               (3)  if applicable, make changes requested by the
  department in response to the department's review of the plan.
         Sec. 311.104.  DEPARTMENT REVIEW. (a) The department shall
  review each hospital's workplace violence prevention plan
  submitted once a year under Section 311.103 to ensure the plan
  remains effective and appropriate for that hospital.
         (b)  The department may require that a hospital amend a
  provision of the hospital's workplace violence prevention plan if
  the department determines that the plan does not meet the minimum
  requirements prescribed by Section 311.102 or is no longer
  effective and appropriate for that hospital.
         Sec. 311.105.  POSTING REQUIREMENT. (a) The governing body
  of a hospital shall require notice to be posted in a conspicuous
  place in each unit or area of the hospital for view by the staff that
  summarizes the hospital's workplace violence prevention plan.
         (b)  The executive commissioner by rule shall prescribe the
  form of the notice required by this section.
         Sec. 311.106.  RECORDS OF VIOLENT INCIDENTS; REPORTING
  REQUIREMENT. (a) A hospital shall:
               (1)  retain, for a period of at least five years, a
  written record of each incident of workplace violence that occurs
  in or near the hospital and that is reported to the governing body
  of the hospital, regardless of whether a health care provider or
  hospital employee sustains an actual injury resulting from the
  violent incident; and
               (2)  report an incident described by Subdivision (1) to
  the department:
                     (A)  within 24 hours, if the incident involves the
  use of a firearm or other dangerous weapon or presents an urgent
  threat to the health, safety, or welfare of hospital personnel; or
                     (B)  within 72 hours, for all other incidents.
         (b)  Not later than January 31 of each year, the department
  shall prepare a summary report relating to incidents of workplace
  violence at hospitals and post that report on the department's
  Internet website. The department shall ensure that the report does
  not contain personally identifiable information of any individual.
  The summary report must include:
               (1)  the total number of reports of incidents of
  workplace violence at hospitals the department received under
  Subsection (a)(2) during the preceding year;
               (2)  the identity of each hospital that submitted a
  report described by Subdivision (1);
               (3)  a description of the outcome of any inspection or
  investigation related to a report described by Subdivision (1);
               (4)  whether the department identified any violations
  of law or department rules during the inspection or investigation
  or imposed a sanction as a result of the inspection or violation;
  and
               (5)  any recommendations the department may have to
  prevent future incidents of workplace violence at hospitals. 
         Sec. 311.107.  ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY. The commissioner of
  state health services may assess an administrative penalty as
  provided by Section 241.059 against a hospital, including a private
  mental hospital licensed under Chapter 577, that violates this
  subchapter.
         Sec. 311.108.  ASSISTANCE OF TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION.
  The department may request the assistance of the Texas Workforce
  Commission in performing a duty under this subchapter. The
  commission shall provide the requested assistance.
         Sec. 311.109.  RULES. The executive commissioner shall
  adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter.
         SECTION 2.  (a) Not later than December 1, 2015, the
  executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission
  shall adopt rules and minimum standards for a hospital workplace
  violence prevention plan as required by Subchapter G, Chapter 311,
  Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
         (b)  Not later than March 1, 2016, a hospital shall adopt and
  implement a workplace violence prevention plan developed by the
  hospital in accordance with the rules and minimum standards adopted
  by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services
  Commission and submit the plan to the Department of State Health
  Services for review as required by Section 311.103, Health and
  Safety Code, as added by this Act.
         (c)  In each year after 2016, a hospital shall submit the
  hospital's workplace violence prevention plan to the Department of
  State Health Services for review, as required by Section 311.103,
  Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, on January 1. If the
  department notifies a hospital that the hospital's plan must be
  amended, the hospital must submit the amended plan to the
  department not later than May 1.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.