| 1 | 1 | | 89R4964 KRM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Vo H.B. No. 1420 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study on nurse-to-patient ratios for critical care |
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| 10 | 10 | | patients in health care facilities. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
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| 14 | 14 | | Commission. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Critical care" means medical care for an |
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| 16 | 16 | | individual who has a life-threatening injury or illness. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (3) "Direct care registered nurse" means a registered |
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| 18 | 18 | | nurse licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing to engage in |
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| 19 | 19 | | professional nursing under Chapter 301, Occupations Code, who has |
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| 20 | 20 | | accepted a direct, hands-on patient care assignment to implement |
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| 21 | 21 | | medical and nursing regimens and provide related clinical |
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| 22 | 22 | | supervision of patient care. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The commission, in consultation with the United States |
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| 24 | 24 | | Department of Health and Human Services, shall conduct a study to |
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| 25 | 25 | | evaluate the outcomes and efficacy of limiting the number of |
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| 26 | 26 | | patients whose severity of illness requires critical care at a |
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| 27 | 27 | | health care facility and who are assigned to a direct care |
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| 28 | 28 | | registered nurse at any given time. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2026, the commission shall |
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| 30 | 30 | | prepare and submit to the governor and the legislature a written |
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| 31 | 31 | | report containing the results of the study and any recommendations |
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| 32 | 32 | | for legislative or other action. The commission shall post the |
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| 33 | 33 | | report on the commission's Internet website. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. This Act expires September 1, 2027. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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