BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1278

By: White

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that rural Texans should have better access to quality outpatient care. C.S.H.B. 1278 seeks to address this issue by allowing freestanding emergency care facilities to provide outpatient acute care services.

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. 1278 amends the Health and Safety Code to include acute care services among the services provided by a freestanding emergency medical care facility for purposes of the licensing and regulation of such facilities. The bill defines "acute care services" as outpatient medical services, including radiology services, laboratory services, immunization services, and other non-emergent physician services. The bill prohibits a facility that provides acute care services from charging an emergency facility fee for providing the services.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1278 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 includes a prohibition against a facility charging an emergency facility fee for providing acute care services and a definition for "acute care services."