Bill Text: TX HB1785 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities renamed as the office for health equity and the duties of that office.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-07 - Referred to Public Health [HB1785 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1785-Introduced.html
88R6405 LRM-F | ||
By: Walle | H.B. No. 1785 |
|
||
|
||
relating to the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and | ||
Disparities renamed as the office for health equity and the duties | ||
of that office. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 107A, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 107A. OFFICE FOR HEALTH EQUITY [ |
||
Sec. 107A.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Office" means the office for health equity | ||
established under this chapter. | ||
(2) "Provider" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
531.1011, Government Code. | ||
Sec. 107A.002. OFFICE FOR HEALTH EQUITY [ |
||
executive commissioner shall maintain an office [ |
||
health equity within [ |
||
(1) assume a leadership role in working or contracting | ||
with state and federal agencies, universities, private interest | ||
groups, communities, foundations, and offices of minority health to | ||
develop and implement health initiatives to create health equity | ||
and decrease or eliminate health and health access disparities | ||
among women and racial, multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, and | ||
regional populations, and across age brackets and linguistic groups | ||
in this state[ |
||
(2) coordinate with state and federal agencies, | ||
universities, private interest groups, communities, foundations, | ||
and offices that provide health care services to women and specific | ||
minority and age groups in this state to maximize use of existing | ||
resources without duplicating existing efforts. | ||
(b) The health initiatives developed under Subsection (a) | ||
must include initiatives to increase access to appropriate language | ||
services in health care settings. | ||
Sec. 107A.003 [ |
||
office [ |
||
(1) provide a central information and referral source, | ||
including a clearinghouse for health disparities information, and | ||
serve as the primary state resource in coordinating, planning, | ||
implementing, and advocating access to health care services to | ||
eliminate health disparities in this state; | ||
(2) coordinate conferences and other training | ||
opportunities to increase skills among state agencies and | ||
government staff in management and in the appreciation of cultural | ||
diversity; | ||
(3) pursue and administer grant funds for innovative | ||
projects for universities, communities, groups, and individuals; | ||
(4) provide recommendations and training in improving | ||
minority recruitment in state agencies; | ||
(5) publicize, implement, and disseminate information | ||
and evidence-based strategies to promote health equity and | ||
eliminate [ |
||
issues through the use of the media; | ||
(6) network with existing minority organizations, | ||
community-based health groups, faith-based organizations, and | ||
statewide health coalitions; | ||
(7) solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and | ||
donations from public and private sources; [ |
||
(8) contract with public and private entities in the | ||
performance of its responsibilities; | ||
(9) coordinate with local health authorities to | ||
investigate and report on issues related to health and health | ||
access disparities among women and racial, multicultural, | ||
disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional populations, and across age | ||
brackets and linguistic groups in this state; | ||
(10) publish on the office's publicly accessible | ||
Internet website the results of an investigation under Subdivision | ||
(9) and any data collected during the investigation, omitting any | ||
data that includes an individual's personally identifying | ||
information; | ||
(11) monitor existing and emerging trends in | ||
behavioral health, morbidity, and mortality rates among women and | ||
racial, multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional | ||
populations, and across age brackets and linguistic groups in this | ||
state; | ||
(12) develop and implement short-term and long-term | ||
strategies to promote health equity and eliminate health and health | ||
access disparities among women and racial, multicultural, | ||
disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional populations, and across age | ||
brackets and linguistic groups in this state; | ||
(13) monitor the progress of the commission and of the | ||
providers with whom the commission contracts in promoting health | ||
equity and in eliminating health and health access disparities; | ||
(14) advise and assist the commission on the | ||
implementation of any programs or funding authorized by the | ||
legislature that addresses health and health access disparities; | ||
(15) examine the manner in which disparities in | ||
education, criminal justice, housing, economic opportunity, | ||
environment, and other social determinants contribute to health and | ||
health access disparities; | ||
(16) examine the effect of health and health access | ||
disparities on educational, housing, and economic opportunity; and | ||
(17) advise the commission on procuring contracts with | ||
providers that are promoting health equity and working to eliminate | ||
health and health access disparities among women and racial, | ||
multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional populations, | ||
and across age brackets and linguistic groups in this state. | ||
Sec. 107A.004 [ |
||
distribute to the office to be used in accordance with this chapter: | ||
(1) [ |
||
appropriations; | ||
(2) money appropriated by the legislature; and | ||
(3) gifts, donations, or grants, including grants from | ||
the federal government [ |
||
Sec. 107A.005. PROVIDER CONTRACTS. (a) The commission | ||
shall collaborate with the office in procuring contracts and | ||
entering into provider agreements with providers that promote | ||
health equity and eliminate health and health access disparities | ||
among women and racial, multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, and | ||
regional populations, and across age brackets and linguistic groups | ||
in this state. | ||
(b) The office shall assist providers under a contract or | ||
provider agreement with the commission in implementing programs and | ||
strategies that promote health equity and eliminate health and | ||
health access disparities among women and racial, multicultural, | ||
disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional populations, and across age | ||
brackets and linguistic groups in this state. | ||
Sec. 107A.006. CROSS-AGENCY COLLABORATION. The office may | ||
collaborate with other state agencies to advise and assist in | ||
implementing programs and strategies that seek to eliminate social | ||
determinants that contribute to health and health access | ||
disparities among women and racial, multicultural, disadvantaged, | ||
ethnic, and regional populations, and across age brackets and | ||
linguistic groups in this state. | ||
Sec. 107A.007. STUDY ON EPIDEMIC OR PANDEMIC DISPARITIES; | ||
REPORT. (a) In this section, "public health disaster" and "public | ||
health emergency" have the meanings assigned by Section 81.003. | ||
(b) If a public health disaster or public health emergency | ||
is declared in response to an epidemic or pandemic, the office shall | ||
conduct an ongoing study to assess the disproportionate effects | ||
from the epidemic or pandemic among women and racial, | ||
multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional populations, | ||
and across age brackets and linguistic groups in this state. In | ||
conducting the study, the office shall: | ||
(1) determine whether the epidemic or pandemic has had | ||
disproportionate effects among women and racial, multicultural, | ||
disadvantaged, ethnic, and regional populations, and across age | ||
brackets and linguistic groups in this state; | ||
(2) if the office determines a particular population | ||
was disproportionately affected by the epidemic or pandemic, | ||
identify the underlying causes of that disproportionate effect; and | ||
(3) recommend policies and procedures for promoting | ||
health equity during a future natural disaster, epidemic, pandemic, | ||
or other public health disaster or public health emergency. | ||
(c) The office shall annually submit to the governor, | ||
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and | ||
members of the legislature a written report on the results of a | ||
study conducted under Subsection (b) and any recommendations for | ||
legislative or other action. The office must submit the final | ||
report under this subsection as soon as practicable following the | ||
first anniversary of the date the applicable public health disaster | ||
or public health emergency ends. | ||
(d) The office shall submit to the individuals described by | ||
Subsection (c) a decennial report that summarizes the results of | ||
the studies conducted under this section during the preceding 10 | ||
years. | ||
(d-1) The office shall submit the first study required under | ||
Subsection (d) not later than September 1, 2030. This subsection | ||
expires September 1, 2031. | ||
(e) The office shall post on the office's Internet website | ||
each report required under this section. | ||
(f) In this subsection, "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel | ||
coronavirus disease. Not later than September 1, 2024, the office | ||
shall: | ||
(1) conduct a study to assess the disproportionate | ||
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among the population categories | ||
described by Subsection (b) that includes an assessment of the | ||
items required under that subsection; and | ||
(2) submit to the individuals described by Subsection | ||
(c) a written report on the results of the study and any | ||
recommendations for legislative or other action. | ||
(g) Subsection (f) and this subsection expire September 1, | ||
2025. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |