Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1828 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2683 MCF-F
2	2	By: Parker S.B. No. 1828
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to human trafficking prevention, including training for
10	10	medical assistants, disclosure of human trafficking information by
11	11	certain health care facilities, and protection for facility
12	12	employees who report human trafficking.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title 4, Health and Safety Code, is
15	15	amended by adding Chapter 328 to read as follows:
16	16	CHAPTER 328. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN FACILITIES
17	17	Sec. 328.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
18	18	(1) "Facility" has the meaning assigned by Section
19	19	31.002.
20	20	(2) "Medical assistant" has the meaning assigned by
21	21	Section 763.001.
22	22	Sec. 328.002. HUMAN TRAFFICKING SIGNS REQUIRED. (a) A
23	23	facility shall display a sign, at least 11 inches by 17 inches in
24	24	size, written in at least a 16-point font and in the form prescribed
25	25	by the attorney general, that includes:
26	26	(1) the following statements:
27	27	(A) "All health care practitioners and medical
28	28	assistants are required to receive human trafficking prevention
29	29	training."; and
30	30	(B) "An employee may not be disciplined,
31	31	retaliated against, or otherwise discriminated against for
32	32	reporting in good faith a suspected act of human trafficking.";
33	33	(2) information on recognizing and reporting human
34	34	trafficking and a list of human trafficking indicators;
35	35	(3) a phone number the attorney general designates for
36	36	reporting a suspected act of human trafficking or a violation of
37	37	this chapter; and
38	38	(4) contact information for reporting suspicious
39	39	activity to the Department of Public Safety.
40	40	(b) The sign described by Subsection (a) must be posted:
41	41	(1) in a location easily visible to all facility
42	42	employees; and
43	43	(2) separately in English, Spanish, and any other
44	44	primary language spoken by 10 percent or more of the facility's
45	45	employees.
46	46	Sec. 328.003. DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION PROHIBITED. A
47	47	facility may not discipline, retaliate against, or otherwise
48	48	discriminate against a facility employee who in good faith reports
49	49	a suspected act of human trafficking to the facility, a law
50	50	enforcement agency, the National Human Trafficking Resource
51	51	Center, the attorney general, or another appropriate authority.
52	52	SECTION 2. Subtitle A, Title 9, Health and Safety Code, is
53	53	amended by adding Chapter 763 to read as follows:
54	54	CHAPTER 763. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION TRAINING
55	55	SUBCHAPTER A. TRAINING FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANTS
56	56	Sec. 763.001. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
57	57	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
58	58	Commission.
59	59	(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive
60	60	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
61	61	(3) "Human trafficking" means conduct that
62	62	constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02, Penal Code.
63	63	(4) "Medical assistant" means an individual who, under
64	64	the supervision of a physician, assists with patient care
65	65	management, executes administrative duties, and performs clinical
66	66	procedures, including:
67	67	(A) conducting aseptic procedures;
68	68	(B) obtaining vital signs;
69	69	(C) preparing patients for the physician's care;
70	70	(D) performing venipunctures and non-intravenous
71	71	injections;
72	72	(E) observing and reporting patients' symptoms;
73	73	(F) administering basic first aid;
74	74	(G) assisting with patient examinations or
75	75	treatments;
76	76	(H) operating office medical equipment;
77	77	(I) collecting routine laboratory specimens, as
78	78	directed by the physician;
79	79	(J) administering medication, as directed by the
80	80	physician;
81	81	(K) performing basic laboratory procedures; and
82	82	(L) performing dialysis procedures, including
83	83	home dialysis.
84	84	Sec. 763.002. REQUIRED HUMAN TRAFFICKING TRAINING. A
85	85	medical assistant, within the time prescribed by commission rule,
86	86	shall successfully complete a training course approved by the
87	87	executive commissioner on identifying, assisting, and reporting
88	88	victims of human trafficking.
89	89	Sec. 763.003. TRAINING COURSE APPROVAL. (a) The executive
90	90	commissioner shall:
91	91	(1) approve training courses on human trafficking
92	92	prevention, including at least one course available without charge;
93	93	and
94	94	(2) post a list of the approved training courses on the
95	95	commission's Internet website.
96	96	(b) The executive commissioner shall update the list of
97	97	approved training courses described by Subsection (a) as necessary
98	98	and consider for approval training courses conducted by health care
99	99	facilities.
100	100	SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
101	101	of this Act, the attorney general shall design the sign required by
102	102	Section 328.002, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
103	103	SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
104	104	of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
105	105	Services Commission shall approve and post on the commission's
106	106	Internet website the list of approved human trafficking prevention
107	107	training courses and adopt rules necessary to implement Subchapter
108	108	A, Chapter 763, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
109	109	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.