| 1 | 1 | | By: Bowers H.B. No. 2664 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the task force on racial diversity in the nursing |
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| 9 | 9 | | workforce. |
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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. (a) In this section: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) "Nursing advisory committee" means the nursing |
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| 13 | 13 | | advisory committee established under Section 104.0155, Health and |
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| 14 | 14 | | Safety Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) "Task force" means the task force on racial |
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| 16 | 16 | | diversity established under this section. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A task force is established under this section to assess |
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| 18 | 18 | | and determine methods of promoting racial diversity in the nursing |
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| 19 | 19 | | workforce in this state. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) The nursing advisory committee shall develop a uniform |
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| 21 | 21 | | application form to use in soliciting eligible applicants for task |
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| 22 | 22 | | force membership. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 23 | 23 | | of this Act, the nursing advisory committee shall solicit |
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| 24 | 24 | | applicants for task force membership using the uniform application |
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| 25 | 25 | | form. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) The task force is composed of the following nine members |
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| 27 | 27 | | the nursing advisory committee selects from the pool of eligible |
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| 28 | 28 | | applicants: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) one member who serves on the nursing advisory |
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| 30 | 30 | | committee; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) one member who represents the Texas Center for |
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| 32 | 32 | | Nursing Workforce Studies; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) one member who represents the Texas Higher |
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| 34 | 34 | | Education Coordinating Board; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) two members who represent initial licensure |
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| 36 | 36 | | nursing programs of public institutions of higher education in this |
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| 37 | 37 | | state; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (5) two members who represent advanced nursing |
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| 39 | 39 | | programs of public institutions of higher education in this state |
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| 40 | 40 | | or health-related institutions; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (6) one member who represents the hospital industry; |
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| 42 | 42 | | and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (7) one member who represents the Texas Nurses |
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| 44 | 44 | | Association. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) The member serving on the nursing advisory committee |
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| 46 | 46 | | shall chair the task force. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (f) The task force shall: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) assess the diversity in this state's nursing |
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| 49 | 49 | | workforce based on existing data; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) identify any current initiatives to diversify the |
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| 51 | 51 | | nursing workforce in this state and the strengths and limitations |
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| 52 | 52 | | of those initiatives; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (3) establish goals for diversifying the nursing |
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| 54 | 54 | | workforce; and |
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| 55 | 55 | | (4) develop recommendations on strategies and |
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| 56 | 56 | | promising practices to reduce barriers and achieve those diversity |
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| 57 | 57 | | goals for the nursing workforce. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (g) Not later than September 1, 2026, the task force shall |
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| 59 | 59 | | deliver a written report to the standing committees of the |
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| 60 | 60 | | legislature with primary jurisdiction over public health and higher |
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| 61 | 61 | | education detailing the task force's activities and |
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| 62 | 62 | | recommendations. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (h) The task force is abolished and this Act expires |
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| 64 | 64 | | December 1, 2027. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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