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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of an electronic health record loan |
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program for certain health care facilities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 183 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 183. ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD LOAN PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN |
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HEALTH CARE FACILITIES |
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Sec. 183.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Health care facility" means a facility licensed |
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to provide health care services. The term includes a nursing |
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facility licensed under Chapter 242, a continuing care facility |
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regulated under Chapter 246, an assisted living facility licensed |
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under Chapter 247, and a mental hospital or other mental health |
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facility licensed under Chapter 577. The term does not include an |
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abortion provider or a diagnostic, laboratory, or imaging center. |
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(2) "Loan program" and "program" mean the loan program |
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established under this chapter. |
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Sec. 183.002. LOAN PROGRAM. (a) The executive |
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commissioner by rule shall, in coordination with the comptroller, |
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establish a loan program to provide loans to health care facilities |
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to purchase and implement electronic health record systems to |
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ensure streamlined communication between health care facilities |
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regarding patient health records. |
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(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish: |
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(1) eligibility criteria for health care facilities to |
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receive a loan under this chapter; |
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(2) loan application procedures; |
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(3) guidelines relating to loan amounts, terms, and |
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repayment schedules; |
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(4) procedures for evaluating loan applications; and |
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(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a loan |
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awarded under the loan program and ensuring compliance with any |
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conditions of the loan. |
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(c) The rules adopted under Subsection (b) must include a |
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preference for granting loans to health care facilities that: |
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(1) provide services in medically underserved or rural |
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areas; or |
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(2) provide services to Medicaid recipients. |
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(d) The commission may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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donations from public and private entities to use for the purposes |
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of this chapter. |
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(e) The commission may make a loan under this chapter using |
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money appropriated to the commission for that purpose or gifts, |
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grants, and donations received under Subsection (d). |
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Sec. 183.003. ADMINISTRATION OF LOAN PROGRAM. A loan made |
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by the commission under the loan program: |
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(1) must bear an interest rate not to exceed one |
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percent and be made for a term not to exceed 10 years; and |
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(2) may be awarded in an amount necessary to assist a |
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health care facility purchase and implement an electronic health |
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record system, not to exceed: |
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(A) 80 percent of the cost of purchasing and |
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implementing an electronic health record system for a health care |
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facility described by Section 183.002(c); or |
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(B) 50 percent of the cost of purchasing and |
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implementing an electronic health record system for a health care |
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facility not described by Section 183.002(c). |
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Sec. 183.004. RULEMAKING. The executive commissioner shall |
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adopt rules necessary to administer this chapter. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement |
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Chapter 183, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |