Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2188 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~89R25484~~ AND-D
	1	+	89R6069 AND-D
2	2		By: Howard H.B. No. 2188
3		-	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2188:
4		-	By: VanDeaver C.S.H.B. No. 2188
5	3
6	4
7	5
8	6
9	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	8		AN ACT
11	9		relating to the transition of the nurse aide certification program
12	10		from the Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Board of
13		-	Nursing and to the creation of a workgroup on nursing career
14		-	pathways and a panel on nursing program standards.
	11	+	Nursing and the creation of a workgroup on nursing career pathways.
15	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
16	13		SECTION 1. NURSE AIDE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. (a) The Texas
17	14		Board of Nursing and the Health and Human Services Commission shall
18	15		jointly develop an operational plan for transitioning the nurse
19	16		aide certification program from the Health and Human Services
20	17		Commission to the Texas Board of Nursing. The study must include
21	18		all financial, operational, and other relevant considerations
22	19		necessary for the transition.
23	20		(b) Not later than December 1, 2026, the Texas Board of
24	21		Nursing and the Health and Human Services Commission shall submit
25	22		the plan developed under this section to the governor, the
26	23		lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
27	24		and each standing committee of the legislature with primary
28	25		jurisdiction over nursing.
29	26		SECTION 2. NURSING CAREER PATHWAYS. (a) The Texas Center
30	27		for Nursing Workforce Studies shall establish and oversee a
31	28		workgroup to assess the feasibility of better aligning the
32	29		certification and career pathways of nurse aides, medication aides,
33	30		and personal care technicians into the nursing profession.
34	31		(b) The workgroup must include:
35	32		(1) the executive head of each of the following
36	33		entities, or that person's designated representative:
37	34		(A) the Texas Board of Nursing;
38	35		(B) the Health and Human Services Commission;
39	36		(C) the Texas Workforce Commission;
40	37		(D) the Texas Education Agency; and
41	38		(E) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
42	39		Board; and
43	40		(2) relevant academic or health care professionals.
44	41		(c) In conducting the assessment under this section, the
45	42		workgroup shall consider and evaluate:
46	43		(1) the standards, regulations, and laws currently
47	44		impacting the nursing profession;
48	45		(2) the feasibility of alignment in certification
49	46		requirements for nurse aides, medication aides, and personal care
50	47		technicians to minimize duplicative efforts in the educational
51	48		pathways in nursing; and
52	49		(3) the present and future impact of new business
53	50		practices and advancing technologies in health care.
54	51		(d) Not later than December 1, 2026, the workgroup
55	52		established under this section shall submit a report summarizing
56	53		the results of the assessment conducted under this section to the
57	54		governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
58	55		representatives, and each standing committee of the legislature
59	56		with primary jurisdiction over nursing.
60		-	SECTION 3. GOLD RIBBON PANEL ON THE FUTURE OF NURSING. (a)
61		-	In this section, "board" means the Texas Board of Nursing.
62		-	(b) The board, in consultation with the Texas Center for
63		-	Nursing Workforce Studies, shall oversee a gold ribbon panel to
64		-	review and examine the current nursing program standards and
65		-	educational and other accreditation requirements to identify any
66		-	changes needed to prepare for the future of the nursing profession.
67		-	The panel consists of not more than 13 members appointed by the
68		-	governor as follows:
69		-	(1) one member who is a registered nurse;
70		-	(2) one member who is a licensed vocational nurse;
71		-	(3) one member who is an advanced practice registered
72		-	nurse;
73		-	(4) three members representing nursing education
74		-	programs, with at least one representing each of the following:
75		-	(A) an associate degree program;
76		-	(B) a baccalaureate degree program; and
77		-	(C) a nursing program provided by a private
78		-	institution of higher education;
79		-	(5) three members representing hospitals, including
80		-	representation of at least three of the following:
81		-	(A) a hospital in a rural community;
82		-	(B) a hospital in an urban community;
83		-	(C) a trauma hospital;
84		-	(D) a teaching hospital; and
85		-	(E) a children's hospital; and
86		-	(6) not more than four members with relevant
87		-	experience representing alternative practice settings such as a
88		-	nursing home, a community health clinic, or at-home health.
89		-	(c) Not later than the 60th day after the date the panel is
90		-	appointed, the board shall publish on the board's Internet website
91		-	and in the Texas Register a request for written comments regarding
92		-	nursing program standards and educational and other accreditation
93		-	requirements from stakeholders in nursing programs and the nursing
94		-	profession. The board shall forward relevant comments to the
95		-	panel.
96		-	(d) The board shall assist the panel in conducting at least
97		-	three public hearings in accessible locations to obtain oral and
98		-	written comments regarding nursing program standards and
99		-	educational and other accreditation requirements. The board shall
100		-	provide notice of the hearings in the manner provided by Chapter
101		-	551, Government Code, and on the board's Internet website.
102		-	(e) The panel is a governmental body for purposes of
103		-	Chapters 551 and 552, Government Code.
104		-	(f) In conducting the review under this section, the panel
105		-	shall evaluate and consider:
106		-	(1) innovative nursing industry programs across the
107		-	United States, in the military, and in other countries;
108		-	(2) published literature regarding effective methods
109		-	for educating and regulating nurses that result in measurable
110		-	improved outcomes; and
111		-	(3) the effect on the practice of nursing of changes
112		-	in:
113		-	(A) technology that impacts the nursing
114		-	profession;
115		-	(B) the role of nurses in health practice; and
116		-	(C) nursing education, including the teaching of
117		-	soft skills and patient interaction.
118		-	(g) The board and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
119		-	Board shall provide administrative support to the panel.
120		-	(h) Not later than December 1, 2026, the panel shall submit
121		-	a report summarizing the results of the review under this section
122		-	and including the panel's recommendations to the governor, the
123		-	lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
124		-	and each standing committee of the legislature with primary
125		-	jurisdiction over nursing.
126		-	SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2027.
127		-	SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
	57	+	SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2027.
	58	+	SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
128	59		1, 2025.