| 1 | 1 | | 86R8676 EAS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson S.B. No. 850 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on freestanding emergency medical care |
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| 8 | 8 | | facilities. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this Act: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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| 12 | 12 | | Commission. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Facility" means a freestanding emergency medical |
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| 14 | 14 | | care facility licensed under Chapter 254, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) The commission shall conduct a study on freestanding |
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| 16 | 16 | | emergency medical care facilities that: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) reviews the impact facilities have on medically |
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| 18 | 18 | | underserved and rural areas of this state; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) reviews the impact facilities have on rural |
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| 20 | 20 | | hospitals in this state; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) reviews the impact facilities have on hospital |
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| 22 | 22 | | emergency rooms in this state; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (4) reviews complaints filed against facilities; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (5) examines the reasons facilities have closed; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (6) examines the reasons facilities have filed |
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| 26 | 26 | | petitions for bankruptcy; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (7) examines patient protections provided by |
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| 28 | 28 | | facilities and patient health care coverage available at the |
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| 29 | 29 | | facilities; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (8) examines the location of facilities, the growth |
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| 31 | 31 | | patterns of new facilities, and the proximity of the new facilities |
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| 32 | 32 | | to hospital emergency rooms; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (9) identifies gaps in emergency medical care |
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| 34 | 34 | | treatment that are filled by facilities. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2020, the commission shall |
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| 36 | 36 | | prepare and submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of |
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| 37 | 37 | | the house of representatives, and members of the legislature a |
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| 38 | 38 | | written report that includes a summary of the results of the study |
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| 39 | 39 | | conducted under this section and any legislative recommendations |
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| 40 | 40 | | based on the study. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (d) This Act expires September 1, 2021. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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