| 1 | 1 | | 87R1875 BEE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Thierry H.B. No. 194 |
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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 continuing education in cultural competence and |
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| 8 | 8 | | implicit bias for certain physicians. |
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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. Subchapter B, Chapter 156, Occupations Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 156.061 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 156.061. CONTINUING EDUCATION IN CULTURAL COMPETENCE |
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| 13 | 13 | | AND IMPLICIT BIAS. (a) In this section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Cultural competence" means, with respect to |
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| 15 | 15 | | health care, the ability to address the health issues of |
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| 16 | 16 | | individuals from diverse backgrounds effectively by applying |
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| 17 | 17 | | knowledge, empathy, and insight into the views on health that those |
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| 18 | 18 | | backgrounds present. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Implicit bias" means: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) bias in judgment or behavior that results |
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| 21 | 21 | | from subtle cognitive processes, including implicit attitudes and |
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| 22 | 22 | | implicit stereotypes, that often operate at a level below conscious |
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| 23 | 23 | | awareness and without intentional control; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) implicit attitudes and stereotypes that |
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| 25 | 25 | | result in beliefs or simple associations that a person makes |
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| 26 | 26 | | between an object and its evaluation that are automatically |
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| 27 | 27 | | activated by the mere presence, actual or symbolic, of the attitude |
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| 28 | 28 | | object. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) A physician licensed under this subtitle who submits an |
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| 30 | 30 | | application for renewal of a registration permit to practice |
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| 31 | 31 | | medicine and who practices in the area of general practice, |
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| 32 | 32 | | pediatrics, obstetrics, or gynecology shall include continuing |
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| 33 | 33 | | medical education in cultural competence and implicit bias among |
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| 34 | 34 | | the hours of continuing medical education completed for purposes of |
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| 35 | 35 | | rules adopted under Section 156.051(a)(2). |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The board shall adopt rules to establish the content of |
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| 37 | 37 | | continuing medical education relating to cultural competence and |
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| 38 | 38 | | implicit bias. The board may adopt other rules to implement this |
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| 39 | 39 | | section. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 2. Not later than January 31, 2022, the Texas |
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| 41 | 41 | | Medical Board shall adopt rules required by Section 156.061, |
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| 42 | 42 | | Occupations Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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