SB2069

Regular Session

Relating to the establishment of a work group to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing an acute psychiatric bed registry.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: Q4 2025 (Strategic Deadline). While there is no operational compliance date, facilities must submit nominations for work group appointment immediately following the effective date to influence future standards.
Agency Rulemaking: HHSC is not required to issue compliance rules immediately. However, the agency must appoint work group members "as soon as practicable" after Sept 1, 2025. The work group’s findings, due November 1, 2027, will dictate the regulatory framework for the 91st Legislature.

Immediate Action Plan

1. Monitor HHSC Appointments: Assign regulatory staff to watch the HHSC website in September 2025 for the work group application portal.
2. Nominate Representation: Aggressively pursue appointment to the work group, specifically for the seats designated for "private hospitals," "rural hospitals," or "inpatient mental health facilities."
3. Conduct IT Audit: Direct your CIO to determine if your current EHR can export bed census data via API. If not, pause long-term EHR renewals until the registry standards are clearer (post-2027).
4. Define "Capacity": Internally document your facility's definition of "operational capacity" (staffing + acuity + physical bed) to prepare data for the work group's feasibility analysis.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

No immediate amendments required. However, General Counsels should review current Master Services Agreements (MSAs) with EHR vendors (e.g., Epic, Cerner). You must determine if your current contract includes provisions for API integration or HL7/FHIR interoperability updates without excessive penalty fees, as the registry will likely rely on these standards.

Hiring/Training

No immediate hiring required. IT Directors and Admissions Coordinators should be tasked with assessing current bed-tracking latency. If your facility currently relies on manual spreadsheets or whiteboards for bed management, you are not prepared for the "real-time" automated reporting this study aims to implement.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

No new filings are currently required. The bill establishes a study, not a registry. Do not alter patient intake or discharge reporting workflows at this time.

Fees & Costs

No immediate fees. The fiscal note anticipates no significant fiscal implication to the State or local governments. However, private facilities should budget for potential future IT integration costs based on the standards the work group recommends in 2027.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

The legislation leaves critical definitions to the work group, which will determine future liability:

1. "Available Bed" Definition: The statute does not distinguish between a *physically* empty bed and a *staffed* bed. If the registry tracks physical beds without accounting for staffing ratios, facilities risk EMTALA violations and "patient dumping" accusations if they refuse a registry-indicated "open" bed due to staff shortages.
2. "Expedite Entry of Data": The bill seeks mechanisms to expedite data entry but does not define the timeframe (e.g., real-time vs. daily). A "real-time" requirement would necessitate expensive automated software integration, whereas a "daily" requirement allows for manual entry.
3. Incentives vs. Mandates: The study must evaluate "financial incentives" alongside "regulatory mechanisms." It is unclear if future participation will be tied to Medicaid reimbursement rates or simply mandated by licensure penalty.

Need Help Understanding Implementation?

Our government affairs experts can walk you through this bill's specific impact on your operations.

Schedule Consultation

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.

Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsGovernor Hospitals Interim Studies Mental Health & Substance Abuse Lieutenant Governor Medical Care Facilities Speaker of the House Health & Human Services Commission

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 2069
89R4943 RAL-D	By: Zaffirini
	Health & Human Services
	4/4/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Persons experiencing a psychiatric emergency often turn to hospital emergency departments for help. If a hospital does not have a psychiatric unit, staff search for an open bed at another facility. With a low supply of psychiatric beds in Texas, finding an opening has become difficult, leading to longer wait times in emergency departments that often are not equipped to manage such patients. Currently, 17 states have established psychiatric bed registries. These registries have been reported to improve access to locating available psychiatric beds and reduced wait times.

S.B. 2069 would require the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to establish a workgroup to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of creating a statewide or regional registry of available acute psychiatric beds at inpatient mental health facilities. The workgroup would be comprised of multidisciplinary experts in public health, mental health, technology, substance use, hospital administration, and industry associations. S.B. 2069 would help healthcare providers quickly locate open beds and ensure timely treatment for persons in crisis.

As proposed, S.B. 2069 amends current law relating to the establishment of a work group to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing an acute psychiatric bed registry.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. (a) Defines "commission," "executive commissioner," and "inpatient mental health facility."

(b) Requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish a work group to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing a statewide or regional acute psychiatric bed registry to list available beds at inpatient mental health facilities for the inpatient psychiatric treatment of certain individuals.

(c) Provides that the work group consists of certain members appointed by the executive commissioner of HHSC unless otherwise provided.

(d) Requires the work group to elect from among the membership a presiding officer.

(e) Requires the work group to meet periodically and at the call of the presiding officer.

(f) Requires HHSC, not later than September 1, 2026, to prepare and submit to each standing committee of the senate and house of representatives having primary jurisdiction over mental health a written report that summarizes the results of the study conducted under this section. Requires that the report include certain information.

(g) Provides that the work group is abolished and this section expires September 1, 2027.

SECTION 2. Requires the applicable appointing authorities, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to appoint the members to the work group established by this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDemocrat · Primary Author

Coauthors (1)

Cesar Blanco (D)

House Sponsors

Rep. Hubert VoDemocrat · Primary Sponsor

Joint Sponsors

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 2069

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the establishment of a work group to conduct a study on
	the feasibility of implementing an acute psychiatric bed registry.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. (a) In this section:
	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
	Commission.
	(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive
	commissioner of the commission.
	(3) "Inpatient mental health facility" has the meaning
	assigned by Section 571.003, Health and Safety Code.
	(b) The commission shall establish a work group to conduct a
	study on the feasibility of implementing a statewide or regional
	acute psychiatric bed registry to list available beds at inpatient
	mental health facilities for the inpatient psychiatric treatment of
	certain individuals.
	(c) The work group consists of the following members
	appointed by the executive commissioner:
	(1) the chair of the Texas Hospital Association or the
	chair's designee;
	(2) the president of the Texas Medical Association or
	the president's designee;
	(3) the president of the Texas Nurses Association or
	the president's designee;
	(4) two members who are experts in the field of
	technology;
	(5) one member who is a licensed psychiatrist;
	(6) one member who is a licensed professional
	counselor, as defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
	(7) one member who works in a substance use treatment
	facility;
	(8) one member who is a representative of a hospital
	located in a rural area of this state;
	(9) one member who is a representative of a hospital
	located in a county with a population of four million or more;
	(10) one member who is a representative of a hospital
	located in an urban area of this state in a county with a population
	of less than four million;
	(11) one member who is a representative of a public
	hospital;
	(12) one member who is a representative of a private
	hospital;
	(13) one member who is a statistician;
	(14) one member who is a public health expert; and
	(15) any other member with appropriate expertise as
	the executive commissioner determines necessary.
	(d) The work group shall elect from among the membership a
	presiding officer.
	(e) The work group shall meet periodically and at the call
	of the presiding officer.
	(f) Not later than November 1, 2027, the commission shall
	prepare and submit to each standing committee of the senate and
	house of representatives having primary jurisdiction over mental
	health a written report that summarizes the results of the study
	conducted under this section. The report must:
	(1) evaluate the effect of bed registries;
	(2) include recommendations for increasing public
	awareness of bed registries;
	(3) include recommendations for leveraging financial
	incentives and legislative, regulatory, or contractual mechanisms
	to expedite the entry of data for bed registries;
	(4) assess the effect of hospital reimbursements in
	increasing bed availability;
	(5) evaluate psychiatric treatment capacity in
	relation to bed availability; and
	(6) include any other information the commission
	considers necessary.
	(g) The work group is abolished and this section expires
	November 1, 2028.
	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
	of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human
	Services Commission shall appoint the members to the work group
	established by this Act.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 5, 2025

TO:	Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB2069 by Zaffirini (Relating to the establishment of a work group to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing an acute psychiatric bed registry.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

529 Health and Human Services Commission

LBB Staff:

JMc, NPe, ER, SB

Related Legislation

Explore more bills from this author and on related topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB2069

What does Texas SB2069 do?

SB2069 mandates the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to conduct a feasibility study and establish a work group regarding a statewide acute psychiatric bed registry. While this bill creates no immediate reporting mandates for hospitals or mental health facilities, it initiates the critical design phase for future interoperability standards and mandatory bed-tracking regulations likely to be enacted in the 2029 legislative session. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: Q4 2025 (Strategic Deadline).

Who authored SB2069?

SB2069 was authored by Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini during the Regular Session.

When was SB2069 signed into law?

SB2069 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB2069?

SB2069 is enforced by Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

How urgent is compliance with SB2069?

The compliance urgency for SB2069 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB2069?

The cost impact of SB2069 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB2069 address?

SB2069 addresses topics including governor, hospitals, interim studies, mental health & substance abuse and lieutenant governor.

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.