BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 297
87R21852 MCF-F	By: Murr (Buckingham)
	Health & Human Services
	5/17/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties contend that the current yearly inservice training requirement for inpatient mental health treatment facilities are often repetitive and lengthy. The inservice training is designed to assist employees and health care professionals associated with the facility in identifying patient abuse or neglect and illegal, unprofessional, or unethical conduct by or in the facility. H.B. 297 will reduce this lengthy and repetitious test from eight hours to four hours so employees and health care professional may treat their patients.

H.B. 297 amends current law relating to inservice training on prevention of abuse, neglect, and illegal, unprofessional, and unethical conduct provided by certain health care facilities.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 161.113, Health and Safety Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 161.133(a), Health and Safety Code, as follows:

(a)  Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission by rule to require each inpatient mental health facility, treatment facility, or hospital that provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation services to annually provide as a condition of continued licensure a minimum of eight hours of initial inservice training for new employees and four hours of continuing inservice training, rather than a minimum of eight hours of inservice training, for continuing employees that is designed to assist employees and health care professionals associated with the facility in identifying patient abuse or neglect and illegal, unprofessional, or unethical conduct by or in the facility.

SECTION 2.  Makes application of Section 161.133(a), Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act, prospective.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.