Sec. 142.004.  LICENSE APPLICATION.  (a)  An applicant for a license to provide home health, hospice, habilitation, or personal assistance services must:
(1)  file a written application on a form prescribed by the department indicating the type of service the applicant wishes to provide;
(2)  cooperate with any surveys required by the department for a license; and
(3)  pay the license fee prescribed by this chapter.
(b)  In addition to the requirements of Subsection (a), if the applicant is a certified agency when the application for a license to provide certified home health services is filed, the applicant must maintain its Medicare certification.  If the applicant is not a certified agency when the application for a license to provide certified home health services is filed, the applicant must establish that it is in the process of receiving its certification from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
(c)  The executive commissioner by rule shall require that, at a minimum, before the department may approve a license application, the applicant must provide to the department:
(1)  documentation establishing that, at a minimum, the applicant has sufficient financial resources to provide the services required by this chapter and by the department during the term of the license;
(2)  a list of the management personnel for the proposed home and community support services agency, a description of personnel qualifications, and a plan for providing continuing training and education for the personnel during the term of the license;
(3)  documentation establishing that the applicant is capable of meeting the minimum standards established by the executive commissioner relating to the quality of care;
(4)  a plan that provides for the orderly transfer of care of the applicant's clients if the applicant cannot maintain or deliver home health, hospice, habilitation, or personal assistance services under the license;
(5)  identifying information on the home and community support services agency owner, administrator, and chief financial officer to enable the department to conduct criminal background checks on those persons;
(6)  identification of any controlling person with respect to the applicant; and
(7)  documentation relating to any controlling person identified under Subdivision (6), if requested by the department and relevant to the controlling person's compliance with any applicable licensing standard required or adopted under this chapter.
(d)  Information received by the department relating to the competence and financial resources of the applicant or a controlling person with respect to the applicant is confidential and may not be disclosed to the public.
(e)  A home and community support services agency owned or operated by a state agency directly providing services is not required to provide the information described in Subsections (c)(1) and (5).
(f)  The department shall evaluate and consider all information collected during the application process.
Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.  Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 14, Sec. 45, eff. Sept. 1, 1991;  Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 800, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1191, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 276, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0398, eff. April 2, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 826 (H.B. 4001), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2015.