The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met to vote on pending business relating to the practice of abortion in Texas and also to take up legislation relating to creating an office of workforce and data analytics within the Department of Family and Protective Services, licensing and regulation of hospitals, and creating an expedited licensing path for out-of-state psychiatrists wishing to practice in Texas.
SB 8, Schwertner – Relating to certain prohibited abortions and the treatment and disposition of a human fetus, human fetal tissue, and other tissue resulting from pregnancy.
- New CS – Changes term “valuable consideration” to “economic benefit” in penal code, allows fetal tissue to be used for health of the mother, forensic investigations, and disposition of the remains, clarifies that umbilical cord and placenta material can be used, allows fetal tissue to be donated to teaching hospitals, and requires recordkeeping of facilities donated to (adopted)
- CSSB 8 voted out (7-1)
SB 415, Perry – Relating to a prohibition on the performance of dismemberment abortions.
- SB 415 voted out (6-2)
SB 258, Huffines – Relating to the disposition of an unborn child's remains after an abortion.
- New CS – Clarified compliance language for women choosing to dispose of the remains themselves, added pregnant women to list of individuals who can request information of charitable services, provides for forensic investigations and remains that are lawfully donated, specifies that HHSC commissioner makes rules (adopted)
- CSSB 258 voted out (6-2)
SB 497, Uresti – Relating to the creation of an office of workforce development and analytics in the Department of Family and Protective Services.
- Creates office to study workforce turnover
- CSSB 497 – Elevates office to be under deputy commissioner, changes name to “Office of Data Analytics,” allows DFPS to determine scope of analytic services, removes workforce recruitment from the office as an HR function, aligns language with similar language in SB 11
- Sen. Perry – Does this account for exit conferences or similar practices?
- Yes, hopefully will poll workers while they are there and after they left
Will Francis, National Association of Social Workers – For SB 497
- Follows Sunset recommendations to consolidate workforce functions, office will help retain workers
- Loss of caseworkers has a large negative fiscal impact on DFPS, retention is key
Dimple Patel, Texas Protects – For SB 297
- While Legislature has addressed salaries, there are still holes in caseworker retention; office will help identify why caseworkers leave and develop strategies to retain these workers
- Structure of CPS can sometimes restrict caseworkers from acting
- Sen. Schwertner – Can you elaborate on how you’ve been restricted while working in CPS?
- Management and HR issues have to go through the “chain of command,” complicated when caseworkers need to complain to the boss about the boss
- Sen. Schwertner – So the environment can engender conflicts within the agency; SB 11 moves case management and might help with these conflicts
- Sen. Kolkhorst – How will this be done efficiently?
- Lynn Blackmore – DFPS is not asking for new FTEs, office will be developed
SB 497 Left Pending
SB 267, Schwertner – Relating to the licensing and regulation of hospitals in this state; increasing the amount of administrative penalties assessed or imposed against certain hospitals; authorizing the imposition of a fee.
- Gives state additional tools to protect safety of hospital patients, legislature can order suspensions of hospital licenses upon threats to patient safety, allows DFPS and OIG to share and coordinate licensure information, increases maximum penalty for licensure issues
- Sen. Perry – Bill is good, but there is a very inconsistent process for judging nursing homes during inspections, would suggest DSHS has trained personnel to investigate nursing homes
- Sen. Perry – Has problems with the IDR process in nursing homes
- Sen. Schwertner – Understands that different regions treat certain violations differently
- Sen. Schwertner – State currently does not mandate inspections if they are CMS approved?
- DSHS – will investigate where there are complaints
- Sen. Schwertner – This bill would change that, requires 10% of CMS approved hospitals to be inspected per year
- Sen. Kolkhorst – What happens to hospitals where patients contract infectious diseases? Do inspections look after the health of the of the hospital and patients?
- Sen. Schwertner – Individuals has certain avenues to seek redress with malpractice in complaints and legal actions, bill would add another layer on top of protections existing for patients
Don McBeth, Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals – For SB 267
- Bill is good effort and legislature has worked with hospitals to find a good balance
John Hawkins, Texas Hospital Association – For SB 267
- Bill targets bad actors and is not overly onerous on hospitals
SB 267 Left Pending
SB 674, Schwertner – Relating to an expedited licensing process for certain physicians specializing in psychiatry; authorizing a fee.
- Lacks of psychiatrists negatively impacts state access to care and
- SB 674 requires TMB to create expedited licensure process for out-of-state psychiatrists who are licensed by their home state and who meet certain existing statutory requirements
- Sen. Buckingham – Would like board-certified requirement modified, does not support making board-certification a requirement for psychiatry licensure generally
- Sen. Schwertner – Understands the concern, bill does not support a general board-certification requirement for licensure
Andy Keller, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute – For SB 674
- This is an important first step to solve staffing problems, other states have licensing reciprocity
- Current delay in bringing in out-of-state psychiatrists is onerous on psychiatric care providers
- Sen. Uresti – What is the cause of disparities in residencies between Texas and other states?
- Residencies are assessed per capita, but Texas does have a huge problem
Lynn Lee, League of Women Voters – For SB 674
- Expedited out-of-state licensure will go a long way towards solving psychiatric services bottlenecks
SB 674 Left Pending