S.B. No. 874




AN ACT

relating to quality-of-care monitoring visits to long-term care 
facilities. 
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subdivision (1), Section 255.001, Health and 
Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
		(1)  "Department" means the [Texas] Department of Aging 
and Disability [Human] Services.
	SECTION 2.  Subsections (a) and (f), Section 255.003, Health 
and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The department shall establish regional offices with 
one or more quality-of-care monitors, based on the number of 
long-term care facilities in the region, to monitor the facilities 
in the region on a regular, [unannounced,] aperiodic basis, 
including nights, evenings, weekends, and holidays. A monitoring 
visit conducted under this chapter may be announced or unannounced.
	(f)  The quality-of-care monitor shall include in a 
monitoring [an assessment] visit:
		(1)  observation of the care and services rendered to 
residents; and        
		(2)  formal and informal interviews with residents, 
family members, facility staff, resident guests, volunteers, other 
regulatory staff, and representatives of a human rights advocacy 
committee.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.                           





______________________________    ______________________________
President of the Senate             Speaker of the House
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 874 passed the Senate on 
April 14, 2005, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that 
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 28, 2005, by the 
following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.




______________________________ 
   Secretary of the Senate             
	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 874 passed the House, with 
amendment, on May 25, 2005, by a non-record vote.




______________________________ 
   Chief Clerk of the House            



Approved:


______________________________ 
            Date



______________________________ 
          Governor