BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3800

By: Orr

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In developing its October 2024 final report, the Texas Healthcare Workforce Task Force, which was created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to examine the health care workforce shortage in Texas, learned about several successful collaborations and partnerships, including those involving educational institutions from high schools to universities, employers, local clinics, physician offices, hospitals, and state and local government agencies, that have occurred across the state seeking to ensure the effective development of a local health care workforce. The bill author has informed the committee that each of these collaborations are organized and designed to address specific local needs using local resources and relationships, with some common elements that are needed to be successful. C.S.H.B. 3800 seeks to further this collaboration by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to create an advisory board with members from institutions of higher education, health care-related entities, and local workforce development boards to develop a resource guide to help facilitate collaborations among health care providers and such institutions in more effectively identifying and addressing local health care workforce needs.

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. 3800 requires the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish an advisory board to develop a resource guide that facilitates collaborations among health care providers and institutions of higher education in more effectively identifying and addressing local health care workforce needs, including training, workforce shortages, and challenging workloads. The bill establishes the composition of the advisory board, to be appointed by the executive director of TWC as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, as follows:

· one member from a two-year institution of higher education in an urban area;

· one member from a two-year institution of higher education in a rural area;

· one member from a public four-year institution of higher education in an urban area;

· one member from a public four-year institution of higher education in a rural area;

· three members representing local workforce development boards in geographically diverse areas of Texas;

· two members from statewide organizations representing hospitals;

· two members from statewide organizations representing health care professionals;

· two members from statewide organizations representing public health clinics; and

· one member from the Texas Association of Community Health Centers.

The bill requires the advisory board to elect from among the members a presiding officer and requires the board to meet periodically and at the call of the presiding officer.

C.S.H.B. 3800 requires TWC, not later than November 1, 2026, to prepare and submit to the legislature the resource guide developed under the bill's provisions. The advisory board is abolished and the bill's provisions expire September 1, 2027.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3800 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The introduced and the substitute differ with respect to the composition of the advisory board as follows:

· the substitute includes one member from each of the following type of entity, whereas the introduced included two members from such types of entities:

o a two-year institution of higher education in an urban area;

o a two-year institution of higher education in a rural area;

o a public four-year institution of higher education in an urban area; and

o a public four-year institution of higher education in a rural area;

· whereas the introduced included two members representing local workforce boards with projects addressing health care workforce shortages in urban areas and two members representing local workforce boards with projects addressing health care workforce shortages in rural areas, the substitute includes three members representing local workforce development boards in geographically diverse areas of Texas;

· whereas the introduced included one member representing each the Texas Hospital Association, the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, and a private hospital, the substitute includes two members from statewide organizations representing hospitals;

· the substitute omits the following members that were included in the introduced:

o two members from private health provider education programs;

o two members representing long-term care facilities, hospice providers, or home health care providers; and

o at least one member representing each the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Board of Nursing, TWC, and any other agency the TWC executive director determines is necessary; and

· the substitute includes the following members that were absent from the introduced:

o two members from statewide organizations representing health care professionals;

o two members from statewide organizations representing public health clinics; and

o one member from the Texas Association of Community Health Centers.