Bill Text: TX SB1202 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to emergency generators or other power sources for nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-09 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1202 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB1202-Introduced.html
88R4067 LRM-F | ||
By: Miles | S.B. No. 1202 |
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relating to emergency generators or other power sources for nursing | ||
facilities and assisted living facilities. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 242, Health and Safety | ||
Code, is amended by adding Sections 242.053 and 242.054 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 242.053. EMERGENCY GENERATOR OR OTHER POWER SOURCE. | ||
(a) Each nursing facility licensed under this chapter shall ensure | ||
the facility is equipped with an operational emergency generator or | ||
comparable emergency power source and a sufficient amount of fuel | ||
to operate the generator or power source for a minimum of 72 hours | ||
during a power outage in: | ||
(1) an area in the facility of sufficient size to | ||
maintain residents safely at all times and that is appropriate for | ||
resident needs; and | ||
(2) for a nursing facility that maintains an area in | ||
the facility with an installed unit locking device as defined by | ||
commission rule to restrict a resident's ability to exit a unit of | ||
the facility or the facility, a separately powered area in addition | ||
to an area described by Subdivision (1). | ||
(b) An operational emergency generator or comparable | ||
emergency power source required by Subsection (a) may be powered by | ||
any type of fuel, including natural gas. | ||
(c) A nursing facility must comply with Subsection (a) not | ||
later than September 1, 2024. A nursing facility may request from | ||
the commission an extension not to exceed one year to comply in good | ||
faith with Subsection (a). A facility may request not more than two | ||
additional one-year extensions and must separately request each | ||
extension. This subsection expires September 1, 2027. | ||
Sec. 242.054. GENERATOR INSPECTION. In addition to the | ||
inspections required under Sections 242.043 and 242.044, the | ||
commission shall conduct an annual inspection of each facility's | ||
emergency generator or other power source required by Section | ||
242.053. The executive commissioner by rule shall prescribe a | ||
checklist for an inspection conducted under this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 247, Health and Safety | ||
Code, is amended by adding Sections 247.073 and 247.074 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 247.073. EMERGENCY GENERATOR OR OTHER POWER SOURCE. | ||
(a) Each assisted living facility licensed under this chapter | ||
shall ensure the facility is equipped with an operational emergency | ||
generator or comparable emergency power source and a sufficient | ||
amount of fuel to operate the generator or power source for a | ||
minimum of 72 hours during a power outage in: | ||
(1) an area in the facility of sufficient size to | ||
maintain residents safely at all times and that is appropriate for | ||
resident needs; and | ||
(2) for an assisted living facility that maintains an | ||
area in the facility with an installed unit locking device as | ||
defined by commission rule to restrict a resident's ability to exit | ||
a unit of the facility or the facility, a separately powered area in | ||
addition to an area described by Subdivision (1). | ||
(b) An operational emergency generator or comparable | ||
emergency power source required by Subsection (a) may be powered by | ||
any type of fuel, including natural gas. | ||
(c) An assisted living facility must comply with Subsection | ||
(a) not later than September 1, 2024. An assisted living facility | ||
may request from the commission an extension not to exceed one year | ||
to comply in good faith with Subsection (a). A facility may request | ||
not more than two additional one-year extensions and must | ||
separately request each extension. This subsection expires | ||
September 1, 2027. | ||
Sec. 247.074. GENERATOR INSPECTION. In addition to the | ||
inspections required under Sections 247.023(a) and 247.027, the | ||
commission shall conduct an annual inspection of each facility's | ||
emergency generator or other power source required by Section | ||
247.073. The executive commissioner by rule shall prescribe a | ||
checklist for an inspection conducted under this section. | ||
SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human | ||
Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement | ||
Sections 242.053, 242.054, 247.073, and 247.074, Health and Safety | ||
Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |