| 1 | 1 | | 88R2534 KKR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Johnson S.B. No. 2417 |
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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 the effects of providing child life |
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| 8 | 8 | | specialist services to certain individuals who receive supportive |
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| 9 | 9 | | palliative care. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) "Advisory council" means the Palliative Care |
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| 13 | 13 | | Interdisciplinary Advisory Council established under Chapter 118, |
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| 14 | 14 | | Health and Safety Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Child life specialist" means a health care |
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| 16 | 16 | | provider that offers psychosocial support to pediatric patients and |
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| 17 | 17 | | to the children of seriously ill adult patients by helping improve a |
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| 18 | 18 | | child's coping skills, aiding in the development of holistic pain |
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| 19 | 19 | | management and other symptom management strategies for pediatric |
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| 20 | 20 | | patients, and improving the overall patient experience. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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| 22 | 22 | | Commission. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. STUDY REGARDING CHILD LIFE SPECIALIST SERVICES. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (a) The commission, in collaboration with the advisory council, |
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| 25 | 25 | | shall conduct a study to assess the effects of supporting the use of |
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| 26 | 26 | | child life specialist services by or providing child life |
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| 27 | 27 | | specialist services to adult and child Medicaid recipients in this |
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| 28 | 28 | | state who receive supportive palliative care in inpatient or |
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| 29 | 29 | | community-based settings, including: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) potential improvements to recipients' health care |
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| 31 | 31 | | outcomes and quality of life; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) anticipated cost savings to this state. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) The study must identify: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) the role child life specialists currently play in |
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| 35 | 35 | | providing supportive palliative care services to individuals, |
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| 36 | 36 | | including Medicaid recipients, in inpatient and community-based |
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| 37 | 37 | | settings in this state; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) the current funding method for child life |
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| 39 | 39 | | specialist positions; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) opportunities for increasing the use of child life |
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| 41 | 41 | | specialist services in this state; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (4) best practices for using child life specialist |
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| 43 | 43 | | services as developed by other states. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (c) The advisory council shall provide recommendations to |
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| 45 | 45 | | the commission regarding the structure and goals of the study, |
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| 46 | 46 | | including recommendations for: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) specific populations to receive supportive |
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| 48 | 48 | | palliative care under Medicaid; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) variables and outcomes to measure in the study; |
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| 50 | 50 | | and |
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| 51 | 51 | | (3) entities, including hospitals, hospices, and home |
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| 52 | 52 | | health agencies, with which the commission may collaborate to |
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| 53 | 53 | | conduct the study. |
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| 54 | 54 | | (d) The commission may: |
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| 55 | 55 | | (1) collaborate with private and public entities as |
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| 56 | 56 | | necessary to conduct the study; and |
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| 57 | 57 | | (2) solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations |
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| 58 | 58 | | from any public or private source to fund the study. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. REPORT TO ADVISORY COUNCIL AND LEGISLATURE. (a) |
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| 60 | 60 | | Not later than September 1, 2026, the commission shall prepare and |
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| 61 | 61 | | submit to the advisory council a report on the results of the study |
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| 62 | 62 | | conducted under this Act. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (b) The advisory council shall include the commission's |
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| 64 | 64 | | report under Subsection (a) of this section in the advisory |
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| 65 | 65 | | council's 2026 biennial report to the legislature required by |
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| 66 | 66 | | Section 118.010, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 67 | 67 | | SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires December 31, 2026. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 69 | 69 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 70 | 70 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 71 | 71 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 72 | 72 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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