The Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) adopts amendments to §§97.2, 97.247, 97.298, 97.403, 97.404, 97.602, and 97.701 in its Licensing Standards for Home and Community Support Services Agencies (HCSSA) chapter without changes to the proposed text published in the May 9, 2003, issue of the Texas Register (28 TexReg 3816).

Justification for the amendments is to provide greater efficiency to HCSSAs by allowing branch offices and alternate delivery sites to conduct criminal history and registry checks on applicants and current employees, to comply with recently adopted Texas Board of Nurse Examiners rules, and to update citations.

DHS received no comments regarding adoption of the amendments.

The amendment is adopted under the Health and Safety Code, Chapter 142, which provides DHS with the authority to adopt rules for the licensing and regulation of home and community support services agencies.

The amendment implements the Health and Safety Code, §§142.001 - 142.030.