By: Watson S.B. No. 1540
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the certification, training, and supervision of
  certified family partners and the provision of peer support
  services by certified family partners to the family or primary
  caregiver of certain children with serious emotional disturbance,
  including the provision of those services under the medical
  assistance program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.09992 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.09992.  CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNERS.  The executive
  commissioner by rule shall:
               (1)  establish training, certification, and
  supervision requirements for a person to be certified as a family
  partner and, as a certified family partner, to provide peer support
  services to the family or primary caregiver of a child not younger
  than three years of age and not older than 17 years of age, who has a
  serious emotional disturbance; and
               (2)  define the scope of peer support services a
  certified family partner may provide in a manner that distinguishes
  other services the provision of which requires licensure under
  another provision of law.
         SECTION 2.  Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended
  by adding Subsection (c-2) to read as follows:
         (c-2)  To the extent permitted by federal law, the executive
  commissioner, in establishing standards under Subsection (c), may
  include the provision of peer support services by a certified
  family partner in the scope of services provided under the medical
  assistance program to a child who is eligible for assistance, is not
  younger than three years old and not older than 17 years old, and
  has a serious emotional disturbance.  In this subsection,
  "certified family partner" means a person certified as a family
  partner under rules adopted under Section 531.09992, Government
  Code.
         SECTION 3.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall adopt rules as required by Section
  531.09992, Government Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 4.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
  a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
  federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
  the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
  authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
  waiver or authorization is granted.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2017.