By: Watson S.B. No. 1540
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the certification, training, and supervision of
certified family partners and the provision of peer support
services by certified family partners to the family or primary
caregiver of certain children with serious emotional disturbance,
including the provision of those services under the medical
assistance program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 531.09992 to read as follows:
Sec. 531.09992. CERTIFIED FAMILY PARTNERS. The executive
commissioner by rule shall:
(1) establish training, certification, and
supervision requirements for a person to be certified as a family
partner and, as a certified family partner, to provide peer support
services to the family or primary caregiver of a child not younger
than three years of age and not older than 17 years of age, who has a
serious emotional disturbance; and
(2) define the scope of peer support services a
certified family partner may provide in a manner that distinguishes
other services the provision of which requires licensure under
another provision of law.
SECTION 2. Section 32.024, Human Resources Code, is amended
by adding Subsection (c-2) to read as follows:
(c-2) To the extent permitted by federal law, the executive
commissioner, in establishing standards under Subsection (c), may
include the provision of peer support services by a certified
family partner in the scope of services provided under the medical
assistance program to a child who is eligible for assistance, is not
younger than three years old and not older than 17 years old, and
has a serious emotional disturbance. In this subsection,
"certified family partner" means a person certified as a family
partner under rules adopted under Section 531.09992, Government
Code.
SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
Services Commission shall adopt rules as required by Section
531.09992, 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 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, 2017.