Bill > SB1383

This bill establishes comprehensive regulations for referral agencies that help connect seniors with living communities, defining such agencies as entities that provide referrals for a fee and specifying their operational requirements. The bill mandates that referral agencies must provide consumers with a clear disclosure statement explaining their services, fee responsibilities, and the right to discontinue using the agency at any time, while also requiring agencies to consider consumer preferences when making referrals and prohibiting them from using cost as the sole selection criterion. Key restrictions on referral agencies include preventing them from referring consumers to communities in which they have a financial interest, holding power of attorney for consumers, or referring consumers to unlicensed facilities, and the bill requires agencies to conduct background checks on employees, maintain liability insurance, audit the licensing status of senior living communities, and provide employee training. The legislation also establishes guidelines for compensation between referral agencies and senior living communities, allowing for contracts based on referral volume while prohibiting arrangements that might violate federal anti-kickback statutes, and it explicitly states that these regulations do not override existing laws governing senior living communities or limit existing legal protections and remedies.

Health and Social Services

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB1383