H.B. No. 2410
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a request for a nursing peer review committee
  determination.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 303.005, Occupations Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (b-1) and
  (b-2) to read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), if [If] a person
  who is required to establish a nursing peer review committee under
  Section 303.0015 requests a nurse to engage in conduct that the
  nurse believes violates a nurse's duty to a patient, the nurse may
  request, on a form developed [or approved] by the board or on
  another form that meets standards developed by the board, a
  determination by a nursing peer review committee under this chapter
  of whether the conduct violates a nurse's duty to a patient.
         (b-1)  If a nurse is unable to complete a form required by
  Subsection (b) due to immediate patient care needs, the nurse may
  request a nursing peer review committee determination by orally
  notifying the nurse's supervisor of the request.  After receiving
  oral notification of a request, the nurse's supervisor shall record
  in writing:
               (1)  the name of the nurse making the request;
               (2)  the date and time of the request;
               (3)  the location where the conduct or assignment that
  is the subject of the request occurred;
               (4)  the name of the person who requested the nurse
  engage in the conduct or made the assignment that is the subject of
  the request;
               (5)  the name of the supervisor recording the request;
               (6)  a brief explanation of why the nurse is requesting
  a nursing peer review committee determination; and
               (7)  a description of the collaboration between the
  nurse and the supervisor.
         (b-2)  To be a valid request for a nursing peer review
  committee determination, the written record prepared under
  Subsection (b-1) must be signed and attested to by the requesting
  nurse and the nurse's supervisor who prepared the written record.
         (d)  If a nurse requests a peer review determination under
  Subsection (b) or (b-1) and refuses to engage in the requested
  conduct pending the peer review, the determination of the peer
  review committee shall be considered in any decision by the nurse's
  employer to discipline the nurse for the refusal to engage in the
  requested conduct, but the determination is not binding if a nurse
  administrator believes in good faith that the peer review committee
  has incorrectly determined a nurse's duty.  This subsection does
  not affect the protections provided by Subsection (c)(1) or Section
  301.352.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  conduct that occurs on or after the effective date of this Act.
  Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the conduct occurs, and
  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2410 was passed by the House on May 7,
  2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2410 was passed by the Senate on May
  22, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor