HBA-NLM H.B. 1225 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1225
By: Jones, Jesse
Human Services
3/22/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

There is some concern that many Texas nursing homes are understaffed and do
not provide an adequate number of employees to render personal care, such
as bathing, personal hygiene and other related tasks, which subjects
residents of the facilities to personal indignities and health problems.
This bill proposes to establish staff-to-resident ratio requirements for
nursing homes.   

H.B. 1225 requires the Texas Board of Human Services (board), to require an
institution to have at least one nurse aide on duty: for every eight
residents who are elderly persons, during the work shift that includes most
of the morning; for every 10 residents who are elderly persons, during the
work shift that includes most of the afternoon; and for every 14 residents
who are elderly persons, during the work shift that includes most of the
night. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 242.037, Health and Safety Code, by adding
Subsection (h), as follows: 

(h) Requires the Texas Board of Human Services (board), in adopting
standards or rules under this section regulating the number and
qualifications of personnel responsible for the care given to the residents
of an institution in which elderly persons are resident, to require an
institution to have at least one nurse aide on duty: for every eight
residents who are elderly persons, during the work shift that includes most
of the morning; for every 10 residents who are elderly persons, during the
work shift that includes most of the afternoon; and for every 14 residents
who are elderly persons, during the work shift that includes most of the
night. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.