By: Campos H.B. No. 4702
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to peer support specialists for individuals with an
  intellectual or developmental disability and peer services for
  those individuals under Medicaid living outside of state supported
  living centers.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 531.09991 to read as follows:
         Sec. 531.09991.  PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS FOR INDIVIDUALS
  WITH AN INTELLECTUAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY. (a)  With input
  from intellectual and developmental disability peer support
  specialists and the work group described by Subsection (b), the
  commission shall develop and the executive commissioner shall
  adopt:
               (1)  rules to establish accessible and validated
  training requirements for peer support specialists who provide
  services to individuals with an intellectual or developmental
  disability;
               (2)  rules that establish certification and
  supervision requirements for intellectual and developmental
  disability peer support specialists to ensure compliance with this
  section;
               (3)  rules that define the scope of services an
  intellectual and developmental disability peer support specialist
  may provide;
               (4)  rules that distinguish peer support services for
  individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability from
  other services that require the provider to hold a license or
  certification; and
               (5)  any other rules necessary to protect the health
  and safety of individuals receiving peer support services.
         (b)  The commission shall establish a stakeholder work group
  to provide input for the adoption of rules under Subsection (a).
  The work group is composed of the following stakeholders appointed
  by the executive commissioner:
               (1)  at least one mental health and substance use
  disorder peer support specialist;
               (2)  at least one intellectual and developmental
  disability peer support specialist;
               (3)  a representative of each of the following:
                           (A)  the commission's Peer and Recovery
  Services Programs, Planning, and Policy unit;
                           (B)  the commission's Office of Disability
  Services Coordination;
                           (C)  the Texas Council for Developmental
  Disabilities;
                           (D)  Texas Parent to Parent; and
                           (E)  Texas Advocates; and
               (4)  a person who is certified as a trainer by Texas
  Advocates under the People Planning Together program.
         (c)  The executive commissioner shall appoint one member of
  the work group to serve as presiding officer.
         (d)  The work group shall meet once every month.
         (e)  The work group is automatically abolished on the
  adoption of rules under Subsection (a).
         (f)  Rules adopted under Subsection (a) do not apply to
  residents in state supported living centers as defined by Section
  531.02443.
         SECTION 2.  Section 32.024(kk), Human Resources Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (kk)  The commission in its rules and standards governing the
  scope of services provided under the medical assistance program
  shall include peer services provided by certified peer specialists,
  including peer support services provided to individuals with an
  intellectual or developmental disability, to the extent permitted
  by federal law.
         SECTION 3.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
  Services Commission shall:
               (1)  adopt the rules required by Section 531.09991(a),
  Government Code, as added by this Act; and
               (2)  appoint the members of the stakeholder work group
  established by Section 531.09991(b), Government Code, as added by
  this Act.
         SECTION 4.  If before implementing any provision of this Act
  a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
  federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
  the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
  authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
  waiver or authorization is granted.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.