Relating to the establishment of the Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council and the abolition of the statewide health coordinating council and the nursing advisory committee of that council.

89(R) SB 2891 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

By: Cook, et al.

S.B. No. 2891

(Orr, Frank, Pierson, Bucy)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of the Health Professions Workforce

Coordinating Council and the abolition of the statewide health

coordinating council and the nursing advisory committee of that

council.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 104A to read as follows:

CHAPTER 104A. HEALTH PROFESSIONS WORKFORCE COORDINATING COUNCIL

Sec.

104A.001.

DEFINITION. In this chapter, "council"

means the Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council.

Sec.

104A.002.

ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATIVE ATTACHMENT.

(a)

The Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council is

established to study and develop a strategic approach for ensuring

a thriving health care system and health professions workforce in

this state.

(b)

The council is administratively attached to the

department. The department shall provide administrative support to

the council.

Sec. 104A.003. MEMBERSHIP. (a) The council is composed of:

(1)

at least one representative appointed by the

executive director or governing body of each of the following:

(A) the department;

(B) the commission;

(C) the Texas Education Agency;

(D)

the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board;

(E) the Texas Workforce Commission;

(F) the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners;

(G) the State Board of Dental Examiners;

(H) the Texas Medical Board;

(I) the Texas Board of Nursing;

(J) the Texas Optometry Board;

(K) the Texas State Board of Pharmacy;

(L)

the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and

Occupational Therapy Examiners;

(M)

the Texas Behavioral Health Executive

Council;

(N)

the State Board of Veterinary Medical

Examiners; and

(O)

the Texas Veterinary Medical Association;

and

(2)

four members with relevant health care experience,

including experience in health professions workforce planning or

complex health care data analysis, appointed by the governor.

(b)

A council member serves at the pleasure of the

appointing authority.

(c)

A vacancy on the council shall be filled in the same

manner as the original appointment.

Sec. 104A.004. DUTIES. The council shall:

(1)

compile from each state agency with a

representative appointed to the council under Section

104A.003(a)(1) information regarding the health professions

workforce, including:

(A)

high school graduation rates from the Texas

Education Agency;

(B)

higher education graduation and

certification rates from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board;

(C) health professions workforce shortages;

(D)

the number of licensed health care

professionals regulated by each participating licensing state

agency;

(E)

federal labor statistics regarding health

professions; and

(F)

any other information relevant to the supply

and demand of health care professionals;

(2)

prepare the strategic plan described by Section

104A.005; and

(3)

establish the work group described by Section

104A.006.

Sec.

104A.005.

STRATEGIC PLAN. (a)

The council shall

examine the health professions in this state based on the

information compiled under Section 104A.004(1) and biennially

prepare a health professions strategic plan.

The plan must:

(1)

include a data analysis model demonstrating the

supply, demand, production, and projected need for the next 10

years of the health professions workforce;

(2)

define targeted goals and objectives for the

health professions workforce, including short-term and long-term

strategies for each state agency participating in the council and

local workforce planning agencies to build a thriving health care

system;

(3)

identify immediate shortages in health

professions;

(4)

define goals for this state to support the health

care needs of a growing population;

(5)

examine this state's capacity to satisfy future

health profession demands based on the existing education programs

offered and current trends of interstate migration, attrition, and

other relevant workforce factors;

(6)

propose recommendations to realign existing

workforce and education programs;

(7)

propose the development of additional education

programs for health professions that align with the long-term goals

and projections identified in the plan;

(8)

identify systemic causes of workforce shortages

for health professions; and

(9)

inventory programs and services, including state

funding amounts provided for workforce planning and preparation and

for health professional education.

(b)

Not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, the

council shall complete and publish on the council's Internet

website the strategic plan described by Subsection (a).

Sec.

104A.006.

WORK GROUP. (a)

The council shall establish

a work group to examine the health professions and health care

education programs that provide a gateway into a variety of health

professions.

The work group consists of members of the council or

their designees.

(b) The work group shall:

(1)

identify sources for gathering information on

gateway health professions; and

(2)

build a data analysis model to monitor the

historical growth of gateway health professions.

Sec.

104A.007.

NURSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)

The

council shall establish a nursing advisory committee to assist the

council with its duties.

A majority of the members of the advisory

committee must be nurses, and the advisory committee:

(1) must include:

(A)

members of associations representing nurses,

educators of nurses, and employers of nurses;

(B)

members representing the Texas Board of

Nursing; and

(C)

at least one member who is a nurse

researcher; and

(2)

may include other members who are public or

private sector health care experts, nurses, nurse educators,

employers of nurses, or consumers of nursing services.

(b) The nursing advisory committee shall:

(1)

review policies governing data collection and

reports published under Chapter 105 that relate to the nursing

profession;

(2)

subject to approval of the council, develop

priorities and an operations plan for the nursing resource section

established under Section 105.002(b); and

(3)

review reports and information before

dissemination by the council.

(c)

A nurse member of the nursing advisory committee and a

nurse member of the council shall co-chair the committee.

(d)

Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the

nursing advisory committee formed under this section.

(e)

Meetings of the nursing advisory committee under this

section are subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.

Sec.

104A.008.

DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY TO COLLECT DATA.

Nothing in this chapter may be construed to limit the collection of

health care facility data by the department or a program the

department administers in accordance with other law.

SECTION 2. Section 56.3075(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) If the money available for TEXAS grants in a period for

which grants are awarded is sufficient to provide grants to all

eligible applicants in amounts specified by Section 56.307, the

coordinating board may use any excess money available for TEXAS

grants to award a grant in an amount not more than three times the

amount that may be awarded under Section 56.307 to a student who:

(1) is enrolled in a program that fulfills the

educational requirements for licensure or certification by the

state in a health care profession that the coordinating board, in

consultation with the Texas Workforce Commission and the
Department

of State Health Services
[
statewide health coordinating council
],

has identified as having a critical shortage in the number of

license holders needed in this state;

(2) has completed at least one-half of the work toward

a degree or certificate that fulfills the educational requirement

for licensure or certification; and

(3) meets all the requirements to receive a grant

award under Section 56.307.

SECTION 3. Section 56.4075(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) The coordinating board may award a grant in an amount

not more than three times the amount that may be awarded under

Section 56.407 to a student who:

(1) is enrolled in a program that fulfills the

educational requirements for licensure or certification by the

state in a health care profession that the coordinating board, in

consultation with the Texas Workforce Commission and the
Department

of State Health Services
[
statewide health coordinating council
],

has identified as having a critical shortage in the number of

license holders needed in this state;

(2) has completed at least one-half of the work toward

a degree or certificate that fulfills the educational requirement

for licensure or certification; and

(3) meets all the requirements to receive a grant

award under Section 56.407.

SECTION 4. Section 61.9641, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 61.9641. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Clinical site" means an acute care or

rehabilitation facility, a primary care setting, a long-term care

facility, a nursing home, a residential care setting, or any other

site identified by the board as providing clinical learning

experiences for nursing students.

(2) "Nursing advisory committee" means the nursing

advisory committee established under Section
104A.007
[
104.0155
],

Health and Safety Code.

SECTION 5. Sections 32.046(c) and (d), Health and Safety

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(c) The commission shall coordinate with the department,

[
the statewide health coordinating council,
] the office of mental

health coordination, and the statewide behavioral health

coordinating council in developing the strategic plan.

(d) The commission, in consultation with the department,

[
the statewide health coordinating council,
] the office of mental

health coordination, and the statewide behavioral health

coordinating council, shall annually review and update, as

necessary, the strategic plan.

SECTION 6. Sections 32.047(d) and (e), Health and Safety

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(d) The commission shall coordinate with the department

[
and the statewide health coordinating council
] in the development

of the strategic plan.

(e) The commission, in consultation with the department

[
and the statewide health coordinating council
], shall annually

review the strategic plan and update the plan as necessary.

SECTION 7. Section 105.001(2), Health and Safety Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(2) "Council" means the
Health Professions Workforce

Coordinating Council
[
statewide health coordinating council
].

SECTION 8. Section 105.002(b), Health and Safety Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(b) In conjunction with the
nursing advisory
committee

formed under Section
104A.007
[
104.0155
], to avoid duplication of

effort, and to the extent funding is available through fees

collected under Section 301.155(c), Occupations Code, the council

shall establish a nursing resource section within the center for

the collection and analysis of educational and employment trends

for nurses in this state.

SECTION 9. Section 222.022(2), Health and Safety Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(2) "Health care facility"
means a public or private

hospital, skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility,

ambulatory surgical center, family planning clinic that performs

ambulatory surgical procedures, rural or urban health initiative

clinic, end stage renal disease facility, and inpatient

rehabilitation facility.

The term does not include the office of

physicians or practitioners of the healing arts practicing

individually or in groups or
[
has the meaning assigned by Section

104.002, except that the term does not include
] a chemical

dependency treatment facility licensed by the Department of State

Health Services under Chapter 464.

SECTION 10. The following provisions of the Health and

Safety Code are repealed:

(1) Chapter 104;

(2) Section 105.011(c); and

(3) Section 311.033(d).

SECTION 11. (a) On the effective date of this Act:

(1) the statewide health coordinating council

established under Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety

Code, is abolished, and the council member terms expire; and

(2) the nursing advisory committee established under

Section 104.0155, Health and Safety Code, is abolished, and the

committee member terms expire.

(b) On the effective date of this Act, any appropriation to,

and any unexpended, unobligated funds of the statewide health

coordinating council or the nursing advisory committee, is an

appropriation to the Department of State Health Services for

purposes of establishing and providing administrative support to

the Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council. The

department and council assume all obligations, property, rights,

and duties of the statewide health coordinating council and the

nursing advisory committee.

SECTION 12. (a) Not later than October 1, 2025, the

appropriate entities shall designate members of the Health

Professions Workforce Coordinating Council established under

Chapter 104A, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.

(b) Not later than December 1, 2026, the Health Professions

Workforce Coordinating Council established under Chapter 104A,

Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, shall appoint the

members of the nursing advisory committee established under Section

104A.007, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. An

individual who is a member of the statewide health coordinating

council nursing advisory committee established under Section

104.0155, Health and Safety Code, as repealed by this Act, may be

appointed as a member of the nursing advisory committee established

under Section 104A.007, Health and Safety Code, as added by this

Act.

(c) Not later than October 1, 2026, the Health Professions

Workforce Coordinating Council established under Chapter 104A,

Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, shall publish its

initial strategic plan as required by Section 104A.005, Health and

Safety Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 13. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.