By: Nelson S.B. No. 790
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to clinical practice hours available for professional
nursing educational programs at certain hospitals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 105, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Section 105.0021 to read as follows:
Sec. 105.0021. CLINICAL PRACTICE HOURS DATABASE; REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Hospital" has the meaning assigned by Section
108.002.
(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
(3) "Reporting year" means a period beginning August 1
and ending on the succeeding July 31.
(b) The council shall establish and maintain a database of
clinical practice hours, disaggregated by hospital location, that
are available at hospitals for professional nursing educational
programs regulated by the Texas Board of Nursing that are offered at
institutions of higher education in this state. The council shall
administer the database through the nursing resource section of the
health professions resource center created under Section 105.002.
(c) Not later than August 1 of each year, each hospital
shall report to the nursing resource section:
(1) the projected number of clinical practice hours
that will be available to professional nursing educational programs
at institutions of higher education in this state at the hospital
during the reporting year that begins on that August 1;
(2) the actual number of clinical practice hours that
were available to professional nursing educational programs at the
hospital during the preceding reporting year; and
(3) the actual number of clinical practice hours used
by professional nursing educational programs at the hospital, by
institution of higher education, during the preceding reporting
year.
(d) The nursing resource section may collect the data
required under Subsection (c) in the same manner and at the same
time other state-mandated data is collected.
(e) The council may exempt from the reporting requirement in
Subsection (c) a hospital that is unable to provide clinical
practice hours to professional nursing educational programs.
(f) The nursing resource section, using the most efficient
means available, shall report to professional nursing educational
programs the following information disaggregated by hospital
location:
(1) the actual number of clinical practice hours
available during the preceding reporting year;
(2) the actual number of unused clinical practice
hours during the preceding reporting year;
(3) the projected number of clinical practice hours
available for the following reporting year;
(4) the written comments submitted by each hospital
under Subsection (g); and
(5) a comparison of the variation between projected
and available clinical practice hours for the preceding reporting
year and any issues impacting the numbers of hours.
(g) When submitting clinical practice hours data to the
nursing resource section, a hospital may include in the hospital's
report concise written comments in the form prescribed by the
section regarding any issue impacting the number of hours reported.
(h) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
council shall submit a report to the legislature that:
(1) lists the number of unused clinical practice hours
for reporting hospitals;
(2) identifies specific professional nursing
educational programs at institutions of higher education that could
be targeted for growth based on geographical proximity to
facilities with unused clinical practice hours;
(3) includes a summary of the written comments
submitted by a hospital under Subsection (g); and
(4) provides an analysis of the variation between
projected and available clinical practice hours in preceding
reporting years and any issues impacting the numbers of hours.
(i) The executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission may adopt rules as necessary to administer this
section.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 105.0021, Health and
Safety Code, as added by this Act:
(1) a hospital shall submit the initial report
required under Subsection (c), Section 105.0021, Health and Safety
Code, as added by this Act, not later than August 1, 2010;
(2) the nursing resource section of the health
professions resource center shall report:
(A) the information required under Subdivisions
(1) through (4), Subsection (f), Section 105.0021, Health and
Safety Code, as added by this Act, not later than November 1, 2010;
and
(B) the information required under Subdivision
(5), Subsection (f), Section 105.0021, Health and Safety Code, as
added by this Act, not later than November 1, 2011; and
(3) the statewide health coordinating council shall
submit the initial report required under Subdivision (4),
Subsection (h), Section 105.0021, Health and Safety Code, as added
by this Act, not later than January 1, 2013.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.