LICENSE ISSUANCE; TERM

(a) The department shall issue a home and community support services agency license to provide home health, hospice, habilitation, or personal assistance services for each place of business to an applicant if: (1) the applicant: (A) qualifies for the license to provide the type of service that is to be offered by the applicant; (B) submits an application and license fee as required by this chapter; and (C) complies with all applicable licensing standards required or adopted under this chapter; and (2) any controlling person with respect to the applicant complies with all applicable licensing standards required or adopted under this chapter. (b) A license issued under this chapter expires three years after the date of issuance. The executive commissioner by rule may adopt a system under which licenses expire on various dates during the three-year period. For the year in which a license expiration date is changed, the commission shall prorate the license fee on a monthly basis. Each license holder shall pay only that portion of the license fee allocable to the number of months for which the license is valid. A license holder shall pay the total license renewal fee at the time of renewal. The commission may issue an initial license for a shorter term to conform expiration dates for a locality or an applicant. The commission may issue a temporary license to an applicant for an initial license. (c) The department may find that a home and community support services agency has satisfied the requirements for licensing if the agency is accredited by an accreditation organization, such as The Joint Commission or the Community Health Accreditation Program, and the department finds that the accreditation organization has standards that meet or exceed the requirements for licensing under this chapter. A license fee is required of the home and community support services agency at the time of a license application. (d) to (f) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 198, Sec. 2.156(a)(1). (g) The license must designate the types of services that the home and community support services agency is authorized to provide at or from the designated place of business. The types of services that may be designated include dialysis and habilitation.