Bill Text: TX HB4139 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the Office for Health Equity.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 28-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-05 - Received from the House [HB4139 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB4139-Engrossed.html
By: Coleman, Rose, J. Johnson of Harris, | H.B. No. 4139 | |
Howard, Thompson of Harris, et al. |
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relating to the Office for Health Equity. | ||
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. CENTER FOR ELIMINATION OF DISPROPORTIONALITY AND | ||
DISPARITIES | ||
Sec. 107A.001. THE OFFICE [ |
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[ |
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executive commissioner shall maintain an office [ |
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health equity [ |
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in the commission to: | ||
(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 by | ||
decreasing [ |
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access disparities among racial, multicultural, disadvantaged, | ||
ethnic, women's health, age, language, and regional populations, | ||
including appropriate language services; and | ||
(2) seek out state and federal agencies, universities, | ||
private interest groups, communities, foundations, and offices of | ||
minority, women's, or age health in order to coordinate and | ||
maximize use of existing resources without duplicating existing | ||
efforts. | ||
Sec. 107A.002. POWERS OF THE OFFICE [ |
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(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, | ||
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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 communities, universities, groups, and individuals; | ||
(4) provide recommendations and training in improving | ||
minority recruitment in state agencies; | ||
(5) publicize, distribute, and implement information | ||
and evidence-based strategies to promote health equity and | ||
eliminate [ |
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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; [ |
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(8) contract with public and private entities in the | ||
performance of its responsibilities; | ||
(9) investigate and report on issues related to health | ||
and health access disparities among multicultural, ethnic, | ||
disadvantaged, women's health, age, language, and regional | ||
populations; | ||
(10) coordinate and work with local health authorities | ||
to collect and report data related to health and health access | ||
disparities among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, women's | ||
health, age, language, and regional populations; | ||
(11) make the de-identified data collected in | ||
Subdivision (10) readily available to the public; | ||
(12) monitor existing and emerging trends in | ||
behavioral health, morbidity, and mortality among multicultural, | ||
disadvantaged, ethnic, women's health, age, language, and regional | ||
populations; | ||
(13) develop and implement short-term and long-term | ||
strategies to promote health equity and eliminate health and health | ||
access disparities among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, | ||
women's health, age, language, and regional populations; | ||
(14) monitor the progress of the commission and the | ||
providers it contracts with in promoting health equity and | ||
eliminating the health and health access disparities; | ||
(15) advise and assist the commission on the | ||
implementation of any targeted programs or funding authorized by | ||
the legislature to address health and health access disparities; | ||
(16) examine the role that disparities in education, | ||
criminal justice, housing, economic opportunity, environment, and | ||
other social determinants contribute to disparities in health | ||
access and outcomes; | ||
(17) examine how health disparities impact access to | ||
educational, housing, and economic opportunity; and | ||
(18) advise the commission on provider contracting to | ||
ensure that the commission contracts with providers that promote | ||
health equity and eliminate health and health access disparities | ||
among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, women's health, age, | ||
language, and regional populations. | ||
Sec. 107A.003. FUNDING. The commission may distribute to | ||
the office: | ||
(1) [ |
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appropriations to be used to carry out its powers; | ||
(2) appropriations of money to the fund by the | ||
legislature; or | ||
(3) gifts, grants, including grants from the federal | ||
government, and other donations received for the fund. | ||
Sec. 107A.004. PROVIDER CONTRACTS. (a) The commission | ||
shall work with the office during all contract procurement to | ||
ensure that providers promote health equity and eliminate health | ||
and health access disparities among multicultural, disadvantaged, | ||
ethnic, women's health, age, language, and regional populations. | ||
(b) The office shall assist providers contracted with the | ||
commission implement programs and strategies that promote health | ||
equity and eliminate health and health access disparities among | ||
multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, women's health, age, | ||
language, and regional populations. | ||
Sec. 107A.005. CROSS-AGENCY ASSISTANCE. The office may | ||
work with other Texas agencies to advise and assist in | ||
implementation of programs and strategies aimed at eliminating | ||
social determinants that cause health and health access disparities | ||
among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, women's health, age, | ||
language, and regional populations. | ||
Sec. 107A.006. COVID-19 DISPARITIES. (a) In this section, | ||
"COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus. | ||
(b) The center shall conduct a study to assess the | ||
disproportionate effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on racial, | ||
multicultural, ethnic, disadvantaged, women's health, age, and | ||
regional populations in this state. In conducting the study, the | ||
center shall: | ||
(1) determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
disproportionately affected certain racial, multicultural, ethnic, | ||
disadvantaged, women's health, age, language, and regional | ||
populations in this state; | ||
(2) if the center determines a particular population | ||
was disproportionately affected by the pandemic, identify the | ||
underlying causes of that disproportionate effect; and | ||
(3) recommend policies and procedures for promoting | ||
health equity during a future natural disaster, pandemic, or other | ||
public health emergency. | ||
(c) Not later than December 1, 2022, the center shall submit | ||
to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of | ||
representatives, and members of the legislature a written report on | ||
the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative or | ||
other action. | ||
(d) This section expires August 31, 2023. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |