Case Information
*1 QBffice of tip IZlttornep @enera
&ate of Qexas January28,1993 ATTORNEY CWERAL
Honorable Bob Bullock Opiion No. DM-201 Lieutenant Oove-rnor of Texas
P.O. Box 12068 Re: Authority of the Texas Department of Austin, Texas 78711-2068 He&btoenactrulesqardingnursing
fbdities (RQ465) Dear Oovernor Bull&
You bave asked us wbetber the Texas Department of Health (the department) is legally authorized to enact tbe regulations cwently proposed in the Tm Register. We understand you spedkdy to ask about proposed sections 145.13 and 145.17 of title 25 of tbe Texas Administrative Code. Set Tex. Dep’t Health. 17 Tex. Reg. 7314-16 (1992). If pronlul~ these regulations wiu require an applicant for a hxnse to operate a nursing fadity to disclose certain information regard@ the applicant’s prior holvement in the operation of nursing kcilities, including w previous denial or revocation of a kense to operate a fhcilityl in tbis or anotbe-r state, my Medicare or Medicaid decutitication of any hcility that the applicant operated, and any previous uiminal cavictions. Further. the proposed regulations will authorize the department to deny a license. iftbe applicant has a “bad track record.*
‘latbcamtextoftbcproposdm@tbns,“fM@-includcssmmingfacility. Tu.Dq~‘l Heallh, 17 Tcx. I@. 7311-12 (1992) (to be cod&d as 25 T.A.C. 0 145.3). Reposal s&on 145.2(b) dcfina.~~~ac’mestablishmmtthtpmvidcrfoodrhlta,~~carrtofauor
morapummwllom -tOtk-Oftbc~liShmWtudtllStpfOVldCSUdBOftfWlmWt umkrtk.dimaiond SUpVihIOfaplQ%iCiallliCWCdbytbCTCXaSStatCBoarddh4Cdhl l!kmlKqorotkJ- UUUIOCUSOBEXlCCdbCpldthCbSSlCpKWtSiOllOffCOd,ShClter,~~. Amuriag~maybeabuildiog,whichmayEonrinoT~ormortnoorsoroncormorcunit$or maybcadisthctpartof~hospital.” Idat7311;scetx!widat7312(tobecodifkdas25T.AC.~145.3) QkhinJJ ‘nursing fsciluy”). =Fscdity-slsoulwmpasscaamstanltyfsclutysndsfadlityaolvingpasoaswithmanal
ramdath or a rclatcd conditioa. See Id aI 7311 (to be cod&d as 25 T.AC. 8 145.3) (definiq %dity=); id (to be wdi6aJ as 25 T.A.C. 5 145.2(c). (d)) (definiq hatcmity facility” ti %c.iliIy serving pus00 with nwntsl lasrdation or rclatcd conditionsr’).
vbcmJposalrq&ioosalsorcquircthtapplicallttodisclosecatain- inulchistoly ofpmons who will control the nursing facility. lhe facility lessor, officers, afliliaIcs, and facility manager. Tcx. DL$I Health, 17 Tcx. Reg. 7314 (1992) (to k codified as 25 T.A.C. 0 145.13(d)). Additionally, the propod rtgdations quix or authorize the dqartmat to deny an application for a license based on the pen snions of the fscility mansgcr, affiiitc, or license holder. Id. at 7315 (u) be ozdikd as 25 T.A.C. *2 (DM-20 1)
AnadministmtiveagencyofthestatehaaonlythoacpWersthatthekgiskue expre$h3scoyferydontheaguqbyatatutetogetherwiththonepowerath3t yganly can F unpbed fi”” the statute. Attorney Genenl Opinion JIM-1017 (1989) at
sourcesutedtherem). Anagencymaynotpromulgatearegdatioathatimposea btmkq ccmditions, or restrictions that exceed or are km&tent with statutory provisions. Id Whether a regukion is vaiid under some specilk statutory authorizatioa orisimplicitlyauthorkedtoe&tuateanqrcsslygmntedpowerdepa&suponthe particular @on imohred. Attorney General Opiion H-949 (1977) at 2.
TlledepameMproposeatopromulgatethueseuionspmauanttotheruthority granted it in V.T.C.S. article 6252-134 section 5; nection 12.001 of the Health and Satbty code, and chapter 242 of the Health and Safety Code. Article 6252-13a, acction 5, V.T.C.S., providea the procuke the Texas Board of Health (the board) must follow to properly adopt regdations. For purposes of this opinion, we need not de&mine whether, in proposing these regdations, the board has adhered to V.T.C.S. article 6252-13a, section5.
sectionl2.ooloftheHealthwdsafaycodeprovidertheboardwithgmaal powers and duties. Subsection (a) provides the board with “general supervision and controlova~~~tothehealthofthecitimuofthisstate.” Subsection (bxl)~thebollrdtoldopt~~~togmemitsownprocedureMdthe
pe&mUnWofcachdutythelawimpo&sontheboard,the~andthe -0ner OfHealth.
Twoprovisionsinchapta242ofthe~mdSafetyCode~particularfy relevant to the board’s proposed mgulations. Section 242.032(b) authorizes the departmenttorequire~d~fiomaticenseapplicrntthattheapp~~wiUkrbleto “comply with the standah and rules adopted established under this chapter.” Won 242.033(a) requires the department to issue a licease if it determines that “the applicant andfacilitiesrneettherequiranentsestablishedde.rthischapter.” seedroHealth& Safbty Code 5 242.061(a). In various sections of chapter 24% the l@ature either ~~requiranentsor~theboardtoldopt~enfonxrrgulationswith
which a nursing home lim muat comply. Srr, e.g., Health & safay Code §§ 242.012(a) (requking each instiMion to adhere to Hum. I&s. Code ch. 102). 242.037 (authorizing board to adopt and enforce minimum-~tovariousaspectsof nut&g home dnh&atioq inch~ding constnztion of institution sanitary Caditi0m3 in and arotmd instituti0~ snd dietaty needs of each resident). 242.039 (requiring licensee to comply with 1985 edition of Code for Safety to Life from Fii in Buildings and Structures), 242.152 (requiring board to reguhtte administration of medication); 25 T.A.C. 8 145.17(e)(l). (2)). For the sake ofoamuu ‘cace,wcwillnzfcrlmlytotbc~licaottspsstiwohrcmntio thecgmttonofnursingf%iulics.
$0 145.13. 145.14, 145.23.’ We assume that to the cctent possiile an applicaut must produceevidencethatitcMwmplywiththesantestatutoryrequirrmeDts &M-Y UgUhtiOltS.
Significantly, section 242.037(2) of the He&b and Safbty Code autborizcs the board to adopt and enfbrce minimum standad dating to the “quaIilication of all ~...perso~responsibleforanypartofthecaregiven l==ti~diYJ tothetidents.” Inouropinion,tbisauthorizationisbroadenoughtoaumqwssthe proposedregulato~becausetheregulationsprovidethedepartmcatamansbywhichit urninvestigateanapplicant’squalificationstoopaatea~~~uponthe applicant’s prior involvement in the operation of nursing hilities. Furthmore, section 242.033(a) mpires the deplrtmat to issue a license to opuate a nursing fkility only if the applicIint meets “the reqdrements established under this chapter.” we believe this provision is broad enough to encompass the proposed reguhtions because the reghtions empower the department to deny a license to an applicant if. due to the applicant’s prior involvement in the operation of nursing facilities, the applicant does not meet departmmtlll 242 provides the board standah. In wnchtsion, therefore, we believe that chapter su5&nt authority to promulgate the proposed reguhtions.
SUMMARY The Texas Board of Health is authorized to enact reguhuions rsquiringMapplicantforati~toopenteamrrsingfacilityto disclose certain information mgardhg the applicant’s prior involvement in the operation of musing hcilities. Additionally, the boardisauthorizcdtoenactreguhtionsthatwillcmpowertheTexas DepertmentofHealthtodenyalicensebascdoniaformationthe departmmt has rewived regarding the applicant’s prior invohmcnt in the operation of llwing fkcilitks.
Attorney Oeneral of Texas ?bc dqwbaau ploposes to rqcal sccths 145.13, 145.14. pnd 145.23 of title 25, Texas . . - Chdc. See Tcx. Dc#t Health, 17 Tex. Reg. 7312-13 (1992). Appmaly, propod ~~14S.llaodl45.12oftitle2SofthcTcxasMministrativcC4dcwill~~thcmataiolinthe nqcalal awtions. See id. at 7313-14.
p. 1066
HonombleBobBull~ - Page4
WILL PRYOR
FiiA&lsismAttomeyGaleral
MARYKELLER
DeputyAssimntAnomeyoaK6al
MADELEINE B. JOHNSON
chair,opinion-