Relating to certain state hospital names and the management of state hospitals.
LowStandard timeline
Low Cost
Effective:2025-05-28
Enforcing Agencies
Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) • Department of State Health Services (DSHS)
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date:May 28, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).
Compliance Deadline:Immediate. All billing, legal filings, and insurance certificates submitted after May 28 must utilize the new facility names to ensure processing.
Agency Rulemaking: The HHSC Executive Commissioner is required to adopt rules governing the employment and qualifications of the separate superintendents. While the structural split is immediate, the specific regulatory scope of these new leadership roles will be defined over the coming 3-6 months.
Immediate Action Plan
1.Stop Billing "North Texas": Instruct finance teams to halt all invoices to the defunct entity immediately.
2.Split Vendor Profiles: Create distinct customer entries for Vernon State Hospital and Wichita Falls State Hospital in your billing software.
3.Audit Contracts: Pull all active agreements with state hospitals and draft simple amendments to update the legal entity name.
4.Update COIs: Request updated Certificates of Insurance from your broker for any staff or equipment located on these campuses.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Master Services Agreements (MSAs): Review all active contracts held in the name of "North Texas State Hospital." These agreements must be assigned or amended to reflect the specific facility (Vernon or Wichita Falls) receiving services.
Insurance: Contact your broker immediately. Certificates of Insurance (COIs) naming "North Texas State Hospital" as an Additional Insured are now defective. Issue new COIs naming the specific facility to avoid breach of contract.
Hiring/Training
Executive Leadership: Recruitment firms must note that the law prohibits a single superintendent from managing multiple campuses. This creates immediate vacancies for distinct superintendent roles at Vernon and Wichita Falls.
Staff Onboarding: Update orientation materials for agency staff or locum tenens to reflect the specific reporting structure of the individual campus, rather than a regional administration.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Accounts Receivable: Update your ERP and Vendor Master Files immediately. Invoices directed to "North Texas State Hospital" will likely be rejected by state finance systems. Create separate client profiles for Vernon State Hospital and Wichita Falls State Hospital.
Legal Filings: Attorneys handling competency restoration or civil commitments must update document templates. Court orders remanding a patient to "North Texas State Hospital" are now technically inaccurate and may face administrative delays at admission.
Fees & Costs
Administrative Costs: Expect minor internal costs associated with updating billing systems and re-issuing contracts.
No New State Fees: The bill does not impose new statutory fees on vendors.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
Shared Services: While the law mandates separate superintendents and distinct names, it does not explicitly prohibit shared back-office functions (HR, Payroll, IT). Watch for HHSC internal policies to clarify if you can submit a consolidated invoice for both facilities or if they must be treated as completely walled-off entities.
Legacy Liability: The law does not specify the chain of liability for incidents occurring under the "North Texas" banner prior to May 28, 2025. When filing notice of claims for pre-enactment incidents, serve notice to *both* the specific facility and the general HHSC legal division to prevent dismissal based on entity confusion.
Need Help Understanding Implementation?
Our government affairs experts can walk you through this bill's specific impact on your operations.
Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
The author has informed the committee that the North Texas State Hospital is currently the only state hospital operating under a two-campus model, with one campus in Wichita Falls and one campus in Vernon, and that this two-campus model could lead to inefficiency and result in the campuses not receiving the proper oversight and attention. Additionally, two new state hospitals are currently being constructed: the Panhandle State Hospital and the Lubbock Psychiatric Center. However, references to these two new state hospitals have not yet been added to certain statutory provisions that list state hospital facilities. H.B. 913 seeks to address these issues by doing the following:
·separating the North Texas State Hospital into two distinct hospitals in statute and requiring the employment of a superintendent at each state hospital, including the one in Wichita Falls and the one in Vernon, in order to provide oversight; and
·adding references to the Panhandle State Hospital and the Lubbock Psychiatric Center to statutory lists of state hospital facilities so that when they come into operation the application of statute is clear.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 3 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 913 amends the Health and Safety Code to revise the list of facilities that are considered mental health components of the Department of State Health Services by including the Vernon State Hospital, the Wichita Falls State Hospital, the Panhandle State Hospital, and the Lubbock Psychiatric Center and removing the reference to the North Texas State Hospital. The bill makes the same changes to the list of facilities included in the definition of "state hospital" that applies to statutory provisions relating to the authority of such a hospital to prohibit a handgun license holder from carrying a handgun on the hospital's property.
H.B. 913 requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission by rule to require each state hospital to employ a superintendent.
HB913 statutorily dissolves the "North Texas State Hospital" entity, legally separating it into two distinct facilities: Vernon State Hospital and Wichita Falls State Hospital, effective immediately. This legislation mandates that the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) employ a dedicated superintendent for each state hospital, ending consolidated management structures and requiring vendors, contractors, and legal counsel to treat these campuses as separate legal entities for billing and liability purposes. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: May 28, 2025 (Immediate effect due to supermajority vote).
Q
Who authored HB913?
HB913 was authored by Texas Representative James Frank during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB913 signed into law?
HB913 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 28, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB913?
HB913 is enforced by Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB913?
The compliance urgency for HB913 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB913?
The cost impact of HB913 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB913 address?
HB913 addresses topics including mental health & substance abuse, weapons, hospitals and health & human services commission.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
Need Strategic Guidance on This Bill?
Need help with Government Relations, Lobbying, or compliance? JD Key Consulting has the expertise you're looking for.
