BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2409

By: Dean

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Abbott waived certain regulations in order to allow inactive and retired nurses to more easily return to work to assist an overwhelmed health care industry. It has been suggested that a shortage of nurses across Texas remains, a fact frequently highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been calls to allow more nurses to return to work without unnecessary red tape. H.B. 2409 seeks to address this issue by codifying the effect of Governor Abbott's emergency waiver, which would automatically be applied during a state of disaster and eliminate reactivation fees and continuing education requirements for retired and inactive nurses.

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

H.B. 2409 amends the Occupations Code to require the Texas Board of Nursing, as necessary to mitigate a nursing workforce shortage caused by a state of disaster, to waive a requirement to pay a fee or complete any required continuing education for purposes of removing a person's nursing license from inactive status if the license has been on inactive status for less than four years.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.