HB1598 - 104th General Assembly (2025-2026)
OPERATING ROOM SAFETY ACT
Last Action
6/02/2025 - Senate: Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
House Sponsors
Rep. Barbara Hernandez - Sharon Chung - Maura Hirschauer, Bradley Fritts, Anne Stava, Kevin John Olickal, Matt Hanson, Diane Blair-Sherlock, Theresa Mah, Aarón M. Ortíz, Rick Ryan, Stephanie A. Kifowit, Michelle Mussman, Michael Crawford, Edgar González, Jr., Kelly M. Cassidy, Anna Moeller, Joyce Mason, Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Anthony DeLuca, Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, Katie Stuart, Janet Yang Rohr, Camille Y. Lilly, Yolonda Morris, Sonya M. Harper, Lisa Davis, Kimberly Du Buclet, Mary Beth Canty and Debbie Meyers-Martin
Senate Sponsors
(Sen. Adriane Johnson - Chapin Rose, Mary Edly-Allen, David Koehler, Meg Loughran Cappel, Julie A. Morrison, Linda Holmes, Mark L. Walker, Laura Fine, Patrick J. Joyce, Laura M. Murphy, Willie Preston, Christopher Belt and Graciela Guzmán)
Statutes Amended In Order of Appearance
Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Operating Room Patient Safety Act. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2027 shall meet specified educational, certification, or experiential requirements. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits an individual from performing surgical technology services if the individual is acting within the scope of the individual's license or registration or is a student or intern under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider.
House Floor Amendment No. 2
Makes changes to defined terms. Provides that each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2028 (rather than 2027) shall meet specified requirements. Makes changes in provisions concerning surgical technologist requirements. Replaces provisions concerning exemptions. Provides that health care facilities located in a Health Professional Shortage Area or Medically Underserved Area, as determined by the federal government, shall be exempt as provided but shall have a hiring preference for surgical technologists who graduated from nationally accredited surgical technology programs and are certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the National Center for Competency Testing. Provides that nothing in the Act prohibits a person licensed in the State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which the person is licensed, including, but not limited to, a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a nurse performing surgery-related tasks within the scope of the nurse's license or registration; or a student or intern from performing surgical technology services under direct supervision, as defined in the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/22/2025 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Barbara Hernandez |
| 1/24/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Bradley Fritts |
| 1/27/2025 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sharon Chung |
| 1/28/2025 | House | First Reading |
| 1/28/2025 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2/03/2025 | House | Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Maura Hirschauer |
| 2/18/2025 | House | Assigned to Health Care Licenses Committee |
| 2/19/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anne Stava |
| 2/25/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kevin John Olickal |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Matt Hanson |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Theresa Mah |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Aarón M. Ortíz |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Rick Ryan |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Stephanie A. Kifowit |
| 2/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michelle Mussman |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael Crawford |
| 2/28/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Edgar González, Jr. |
| 3/04/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy |
| 3/04/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anna Moeller |
| 3/17/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Joyce Mason |
| 3/19/2025 | House | Do Pass / Short Debate Health Care Licenses Committee; 008-005-000 |
| 3/19/2025 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/19/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Barbara Hernandez |
| 3/19/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/20/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Health Care Licenses Committee |
| 3/24/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch |
| 3/25/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Barbara Hernandez |
| 3/25/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/26/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Anthony DeLuca |
| 3/26/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Rules Refers to Health Care Licenses Committee |
| 3/26/2025 | House | Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 3/26/2025 | House | Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/04/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz |
| 4/04/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Katie Stuart |
| 4/09/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Recommends Be Adopted Health Care Licenses Committee; 010-005-000 |
| 4/09/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Janet Yang Rohr |
| 4/10/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 2 Adopted |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 073-035-000 |
| 4/10/2025 | House | House Floor Amendment No. 1 Tabled |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Camille Y. Lilly |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Yolonda Morris |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Sonya M. Harper |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Lisa Davis |
| 4/10/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet |
| 4/14/2025 | Senate | Arrive in Senate |
| 4/14/2025 | Senate | Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading |
| 4/14/2025 | Senate | Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Cristina Castro |
| 4/14/2025 | Senate | First Reading |
| 4/14/2025 | Senate | Referred to Assignments |
| 4/15/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Mary Beth Canty |
| 4/24/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Adriane Johnson |
| 4/24/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mary Edly-Allen |
| 4/24/2025 | Senate | Sponsor Removed Sen. Adriane Johnson |
| 4/25/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. David Koehler |
| 4/25/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel |
| 4/29/2025 | Senate | Assigned to Licensed Activities |
| 5/01/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Julie A. Morrison |
| 5/05/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Linda Holmes |
| 5/06/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Mark L. Walker |
| 5/06/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura Fine |
| 5/06/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Patrick J. Joyce |
| 5/06/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Laura M. Murphy |
| 5/07/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Willie Preston |
| 5/09/2025 | Senate | Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As May 23, 2025 |
| 5/12/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Christopher Belt |
| 5/13/2025 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin |
| 5/23/2025 | Senate | Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As June 1, 2025 |
| 5/27/2025 | Senate | Added as Alternate Co-Sponsor Sen. Graciela Guzmán |
| 6/02/2025 | Senate | Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments |
| 3/23/2026 | Senate | Alternate Chief Sponsor Changed to Sen. Adriane Johnson |
| 3/30/2026 | Senate | Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Chapin Rose |