🟡Relating to an emergency preparedness and contingency operations plan, including temperature regulation, for assisted living facility residents during an emergency; providing penalties.
HB 3595
🟡 HB 3595: Emergency Power Plans for Assisted Living Facilities
What it says it does:
HB 3595 requires assisted living facilities to have emergency preparedness plans for power outages. It sets temperature limits between 68 and 82 degrees, requires safe rooms for residents, and authorizes the state to issue penalties for facilities that fail to comply.
What it actually changes:
The bill centralizes authority under the Health and Human Services Commission, removing flexibility for local governments to set or enforce stronger emergency standards. It creates new permanent requirements for facilities without providing state funding or grants to help them comply.
Who is pushing for it:
Support came from major health care and assisted living industry groups including the Texas Assisted Living Association, Texas Health Care Association, LeadingAge Texas, and the Texas Hospital Association. AARP Texas also supported the concept, but industry lobbyists shaped the language and deadlines.
Who benefits:
Large corporate operators that can afford new infrastructure upgrades. Generator suppliers and compliance consultants also stand to gain new business as facilities race to meet the new standards.
Who gets left out or exposed:
Smaller, rural, and nonprofit facilities that operate on thin budgets may struggle to comply or shut down. Local governments lose authority to adapt standards to their community’s needs. Residents in underfunded regions may see reduced access to elder care.
Why this matters long term:
It shifts control of elder care safety rules away from local hands and concentrates it in a single agency. That makes it easier for large operators to shape statewide regulations and harder for families to demand accountability if enforcement lags or funding fails.
What to watch next:
HHSC will write the specific construction and backup power rules. The details of those rules will determine whether this bill truly protects residents or just raises costs. Watch how long it takes for facilities to come into full compliance before 2027.
Bottom line:
HB 3595 looks like a public safety bill, but it also shifts power upward and leaves smaller providers exposed. Without funding or local flexibility, good intentions could turn into lost services for vulnerable Texans.
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