Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2861 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R12948 BCH-D
2	2	By: Guerra H.B. No. 2861
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the implementation of telehealth services programs at
10	10	certain public primary and secondary schools and the appointment of
11	11	a telehealth services program task force to conduct a study and
12	12	issue a report concerning the implementation of those programs.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Sections 38.0341 and 38.0342 to read as follows:
16	16	Sec. 38.0341. TELEHEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM. (a) In this
17	17	section, "telehealth service" means a health care service delivered
18	18	by a health professional licensed, certified, or otherwise entitled
19	19	to practice in this state and acting within the scope of the health
20	20	professional's license, certification, or entitlement to a patient
21	21	at a different physical location than the health professional using
22	22	telecommunications or information technology.
23	23	(b) Beginning with the 2029-2030 school year, a school
24	24	district that does not employ a full-time school nurse shall
25	25	implement a telehealth services program under which district
26	26	students and employees receive access to telehealth services at
27	27	each campus of the district.
28	28	(c) Telehealth services provided under a program
29	29	implemented under this section:
30	30	(1) must be provided at no cost to students and
31	31	employees; and
32	32	(2) may be provided to a student only with the written
33	33	consent of the student's parent, guardian, or other person having
34	34	lawful control of the student.
35	35	Sec. 38.0342. TELEHEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM TASK FORCE;
36	36	STUDY; REPORT. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the
37	37	State Board of Education, shall appoint a task force composed of
38	38	agency employees and qualified stakeholders, including individuals
39	39	with experience as educators or parents of public school students.
40	40	(b) The task force appointed under Subsection (a) shall
41	41	conduct a study on the implementation of telehealth services
42	42	programs under Section 38.0341 by school districts to which that
43	43	section applies. The study must:
44	44	(1) evaluate the availability of telehealth services
45	45	for each school district that does not employ a full-time school
46	46	nurse; and
47	47	(2) identify changes to state law or policy necessary
48	48	to improve availability of telehealth services described by
49	49	Subdivision (1).
50	50	(c) Not later than September 1, 2026, the agency shall
51	51	submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the members of
52	52	the legislature a report containing the results of the study
53	53	conducted under Subsection (b). The report must include:
54	54	(1) information from school districts regarding the
55	55	implementation of telehealth services programs under Section
56	56	38.0341; and
57	57	(2) any recommended changes to state law or policy
58	58	identified by the task force under Subsection (b)(2).
59	59	(d) This section expires September 1, 2029.
60	60	SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the
61	61	commissioner of education, in consultation with the State Board of
62	62	Education, shall appoint the task force required under Section
63	63	38.0342, Education Code, as added by this Act.
64	64	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
65	65	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
66	66	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
67	67	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
68	68	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.