Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2886 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R15860 BEE/KKR/SCF-D
2	2	By: Cook, Johnson, Zaffirini S.B. No. 2886
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the regulation of child life services and the coverage
10	10	of child life services under Medicaid and health benefit plans;
11	11	requiring an occupational license; authorizing a fee.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Subtitle I, Title 3, Occupations Code, is
14	14	amended by adding Chapter 508 to read as follows:
15	15	CHAPTER 508. CHILD LIFE SERVICES
16	16	Sec. 508.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
17	17	(1) "Child life services" means the psychosocial
18	18	support provided to pediatric patients and to the children of
19	19	seriously ill adult patients by helping improve a child's coping
20	20	skills, aiding in the development of holistic pain management and
21	21	other symptom management strategies, and improving the overall
22	22	patient experience.
23	23	(2) "Child life specialist" means an individual
24	24	licensed under this chapter to provide child life services.
25	25	(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of state
26	26	health services.
27	27	(4) "Department" means the Department of State Health
28	28	Services.
29	29	(5) "Executive commissioner" means the executive
30	30	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
31	31	Sec. 508.002. LICENSE REQUIRED. A person may not offer or
32	32	provide child life services unless the person holds a child life
33	33	specialist license issued under this chapter.
34	34	Sec. 508.003. LICENSE APPLICATION AND ISSUANCE; FEE. (a)
35	35	An applicant for a license under this chapter shall submit to the
36	36	executive commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by rule
37	37	by the executive commissioner, an application for a license to
38	38	provide child life services under this chapter.
39	39	(b) The executive commissioner by rule shall set the amount
40	40	of an application fee.
41	41	(c) The department shall issue a license under this chapter
42	42	to a person who:
43	43	(1) is at least 18 years of age; and
44	44	(2) submits:
45	45	(A) a completed application under Subsection
46	46	(a);
47	47	(B) the fee required under Section 508.004; and
48	48	(C) any other information the executive
49	49	commissioner requires by rule.
50	50	Sec. 508.004. LICENSE FEE. The fee for a license under this
51	51	chapter is $120.
52	52	Sec. 508.005. LICENSE TERM. The executive commissioner by
53	53	rule shall establish the term of a license issued under this
54	54	chapter.
55	55	Sec. 508.006. PRACTICE SETTING AND CLIENT POPULATION
56	56	CERTIFICATIONS; FEES. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), the
57	57	department may issue to the holder of a license issued under this
58	58	chapter a certification for the practice of child life services in a
59	59	practice setting or with a client population not authorized by a
60	60	license issued under this chapter. A certification issued under
61	61	this section expires at the same time as the license held by the
62	62	certification holder.
63	63	(b) The holder of a license issued under this chapter is
64	64	eligible for a certification if the license holder:
65	65	(1) submits:
66	66	(A) the fee required under this section; and
67	67	(B) any other information the executive
68	68	commissioner requires by rule; and
69	69	(2) satisfies eligibility requirements the executive
70	70	commissioner establishes by rule.
71	71	(c) The eligibility requirements the executive commissioner
72	72	establishes by rule under Subsection (b)(2) must include the
73	73	applicant's successful completion of at least 12 units of
74	74	continuing education as approved by the commission in the subject
75	75	area of the certification.
76	76	(d) The commission may issue a certification in the
77	77	following practice setting and client population specializations:
78	78	(1) supportive palliative care and hospice for
79	79	pediatric patients;
80	80	(2) supportive palliative care and hospice for
81	81	children of adult patients;
82	82	(3) neurodiverse populations;
83	83	(4) trauma-informed care;
84	84	(5) grief and bereavement;
85	85	(6) facility animal handler;
86	86	(7) disaster relief;
87	87	(8) critical care;
88	88	(9) hematology and oncology;
89	89	(10) community-based services; and
90	90	(11) any other specialization the commission
91	91	considers to be specific to and within the scope of child life.
92	92	(e) The fee for a certification issued under this chapter is
93	93	$90.
94	94	Sec. 508.007. LICENSE OR CERTIFICATION RENEWAL; RENEWAL
95	95	FEE. (a) The executive commissioner by rule shall prescribe
96	96	requirements for the renewal of a license or certification issued
97	97	under this chapter.
98	98	(b) The fee for the renewal of:
99	99	(1) a license issued under this chapter is $90; and
100	100	(2) a certification issued under this chapter is $70.
101	101	Sec. 508.008. PRACTICE BY LICENSE HOLDER. The executive
102	102	commissioner by rule shall prescribe standards for the provision of
103	103	child life services.
104	104	Sec. 508.009. ENFORCEMENT. A person who violates this
105	105	chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter is subject to
106	106	disciplinary action by the commission.
107	107	Sec. 508.010. RULES. The executive commissioner shall
108	108	adopt the rules necessary to implement and enforce this chapter.
109	109	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 32, Human Resources Code,
110	110	is amended by adding Section 32.0318 to read as follows:
111	111	Sec. 32.0318. REIMBURSEMENT FOR CHILD LIFE SERVICES. (a)
112	112	In this section:
113	113	(1) "Child life services" and "child life specialist"
114	114	have the meanings assigned by Section 508.001, Occupations Code.
115	115	(2) "Recipient" means a recipient of medical
116	116	assistance.
117	117	(b) The commission shall:
118	118	(1) ensure that medical assistance reimbursement is
119	119	provided to a child life specialist who provides child life
120	120	services to a recipient; and
121	121	(2) establish a separate provider type for child life
122	122	specialists for purposes of enrollment as a provider for and
123	123	reimbursement under the medical assistance program.
124	124	(c) Child life services provided to a recipient may be
125	125	provided in an in-person setting or remotely as a telehealth
126	126	service or telemedicine medical service.
127	127	(d) The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
128	128	to implement this section.
129	129	SECTION 3. Chapter 1367, Insurance Code, is amended by
130	130	adding Subchapter G to read as follows:
131	131	SUBCHAPTER G. CHILD LIFE SERVICES
132	132	Sec. 1367.301. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "child life
133	133	services" has the meaning assigned by Section 508.001, Occupations
134	134	Code.
135	135	Sec. 1367.302. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. (a) This
136	136	subchapter applies only to a health benefit plan that provides
137	137	benefits for medical, surgical, or prescription drug expenses
138	138	incurred as a result of a health condition, accident, or sickness,
139	139	including an individual, group, blanket, or franchise insurance
140	140	policy or insurance agreement, a group hospital service contract,
141	141	or an individual or group evidence of coverage or similar coverage
142	142	document that is issued by:
143	143	(1) an insurance company;
144	144	(2) a group hospital service corporation operating
145	145	under Chapter 842;
146	146	(3) a health maintenance organization operating under
147	147	Chapter 843;
148	148	(4) an approved nonprofit health corporation that
149	149	holds a certificate of authority under Chapter 844;
150	150	(5) a multiple employer welfare arrangement that holds
151	151	a certificate of authority under Chapter 846;
152	152	(6) a stipulated premium company operating under
153	153	Chapter 884;
154	154	(7) a fraternal benefit society operating under
155	155	Chapter 885;
156	156	(8) a Lloyd's plan operating under Chapter 941; or
157	157	(9) an exchange operating under Chapter 942.
158	158	(b) Notwithstanding any other law, this subchapter applies
159	159	to:
160	160	(1) a basic coverage plan under Chapter 1551;
161	161	(2) a basic plan under Chapter 1575;
162	162	(3) a primary care coverage plan under Chapter 1579;
163	163	(4) a plan providing basic coverage under Chapter
164	164	1601; and
165	165	(5) the child health plan program under Chapter 62,
166	166	Health and Safety Code.
167	167	Sec. 1367.303. COVERAGE REQUIRED. (a) A health benefit
168	168	plan must provide coverage for child life services provided by a
169	169	child life specialist licensed under Chapter 508, Occupations Code.
170	170	(b) A health benefit plan must provide coverage for a child
171	171	life service provided as a telemedicine medical service or
172	172	telehealth service on the same basis and to the same extent that the
173	173	plan provides coverage for the service in an in-person setting.
174	174	SECTION 4. Subchapter G, Chapter 1367, Insurance Code, as
175	175	added by this Act, applies only to a health benefit plan delivered,
176	176	issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.
177	177	SECTION 5. (a) Not later than March 1, 2026, the executive
178	178	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
179	179	adopt rules necessary to implement Chapter 508, Occupations Code,
180	180	as added by this Act.
181	181	(b) A person is not required to comply with Chapter 508,
182	182	Occupations Code, as added by this Act, until March 1, 2026.
183	183	SECTION 6. If before implementing any provision of this Act
184	184	a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a
185	185	federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision,
186	186	the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
187	187	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
188	188	waiver or authorization is granted.
189	189	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.