Legislative Alerts

• Jan 15, 2009 - TEXAS LEGISLATORS FILE SENATE BILL 476 AND HOUSE BILL 591, TO GIVE TEXAS NURSES EVEN STRONGER
• Oct 13, 2008 - Senate Committee on Health and Human Services
• Sep 19, 2008 - House Committee on Insurance
• Sep 16, 2008 - Senate Committee on Finance and Health and Human Services

TEXAS LEGISLATORS FILE SENATE BILL 476 AND HOUSE BILL 591, TO GIVE TEXAS NURSES EVEN STRONGER

Senator Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) and State Representative Donna Howard (D-Austin) author legislation that adds a legal requirement for hospital boards to adopt, implement and enforce a nurse staffing policy that would address other requirements in the legislation, including:

• The role and status of the nurse staffing committee will be elevated by making it a standing committee that reports directly to the hospital board.
• The nurse staffing committee will continue to be comprised of at least 50 percent registered nurses who provide direct patient care. However, they now will be selected by their nurse peers who also provide direct patient care.
• The nurse staffing committee will be responsible for selecting the nurse sensitive outcome measures that will be used in evaluating the staffing plan. Semi-annually, the committee will evaluate the effectiveness of the plan, as well as variances between it and actual staffing.
• Hospitals also will be required to report certain data about their nurse staffing plan to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

For more information, please go to http://www.legis.state.tx.us.