BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 787

By: Davis, Sarah

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of state recognition of music therapists who have been otherwise certified in the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions. C.S.H.B. 787 seeks to address these concerns by creating the Advisory Council on Music Therapy to perform a study and submit a report to the legislature on the need for state recognition of music therapists.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 787 creates the Advisory Council on Music Therapy to conduct a study on the need for state recognition of music therapists. The bill establishes the composition of the advisory council at nine members appointed by the governor, sets out the qualifications for appointment to the advisory council, and requires the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives to each submit to the governor a list of candidates who meet those qualifications. The bill requires the candidates to represent different racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds and requires the governor to appoint the members to the advisory council from the candidate list not later than the 90th day after the bill's effective date. The bill requires the advisory council members to designate a member to serve as presiding officer, prohibits a member from receiving compensation for service on the advisory council, and requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to provide administrative and staff support for the advisory council.

C.S.H.B. 787 requires the advisory council to study the core competencies of a music therapist, including the skills and areas of knowledge that are essential to bringing about expanded health and wellness in diverse communities and reducing health disparities, and specifies other areas of basic knowledge that may be included in a music therapist's core competencies. The bill requires the advisory council to consult with the American Music Therapy Association, the Certification Board for Music Therapists, and other experts as needed in conducting the study.  

C.S.H.B. 787 requires the advisory council, not later than the second anniversary of the date of the advisory council's first meeting, to submit a report to HHSC, the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, the House Public Health Committee, and the House Human Services Committee, or the successor to those committees. The bill requires the report to include a summary of the council's research and recommendations regarding the need, feasibility, procedures, and best practices for state certification. The bill requires HHSC to publish the report on the HHSC website. The bill expires and the advisory council is abolished September 1, 2022.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 787 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the entity required to provide administrative and staff support for the advisory council from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to HHSC.

The substitute does not include DSHS as a recipient of the advisory council's report and includes HHSC as a recipient instead, and the substitute changes the entity required to publish the report on its website from DSHS to HHSC.