Bill Text: TX HB729 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a border public health response team.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-10 - Left pending in committee [HB729 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB729-Introduced.html
| 87R1481 EAS-D | ||
| By: Lucio III | H.B. No. 729 | |
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| relating to the establishment of a border public health response | ||
| team. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 161, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subchapter X to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER X. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM | ||
| Sec. 161.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Border county" means a county adjacent to the | ||
| international border with Mexico. | ||
| (2) "Disaster" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
| 418.004, Government Code. The term includes a state of disaster | ||
| declared by: | ||
| (A) the president of the United States under the | ||
| Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 | ||
| U.S.C. Section 5121 et seq.); | ||
| (B) the governor under Section 418.014, | ||
| Government Code; or | ||
| (C) the presiding officer of the governing body | ||
| of a political subdivision under Section 418.108, Government Code. | ||
| (3) "Response team" means the border public health | ||
| response team established under Section 161.702. | ||
| (4) "Sanitarian" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
| 1953.001, Occupations Code. | ||
| Sec. 161.702. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM. The | ||
| department shall establish a border public health response team to | ||
| deploy in response to public health threats declared by the | ||
| commissioner and declared disasters in border counties. | ||
| Sec. 161.703. COMPOSITION OF RESPONSE TEAM. The response | ||
| team may be composed of the following members appointed by the | ||
| commissioner: | ||
| (1) an epidemiologist; | ||
| (2) a sanitarian; | ||
| (3) a nurse; | ||
| (4) a public health specialist; and | ||
| (5) any other person the commissioner considers | ||
| appropriate. | ||
| Sec. 161.704. DEPARTMENT DUTIES. (a) The department, in | ||
| consultation with the response team, shall, as necessary, enter | ||
| into memoranda of understanding with other state agencies to | ||
| develop policies, plans, and procedures to facilitate an effective | ||
| response to a declared public health threat or disaster. | ||
| (b) The department shall provide, or contract to provide, | ||
| training, equipment, and support staff to the response team to | ||
| enhance the team's response efforts, as appropriate. | ||
| Sec. 161.705. RESPONSE TEAM DUTIES. During a declared | ||
| public health threat or disaster in a border county, the response | ||
| team shall, as appropriate: | ||
| (1) assess health infrastructure and response | ||
| capabilities for the threat or disaster in a border county; | ||
| (2) develop appropriate responses for the threat or | ||
| disaster in a border county; and | ||
| (3) address language, cultural, and environmental | ||
| factors that are unique to responding to the threat or disaster in a | ||
| border county. | ||
| Sec. 161.706. FUNDING. (a) The department shall | ||
| coordinate with the commission, the office of the governor, the | ||
| federal government, and any other appropriate entity for funding to | ||
| support the response team's activities. | ||
| (b) The department may accept on behalf of the response team | ||
| a gift, grant, or donation from any source to carry out the purposes | ||
| of this subchapter. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Department | ||
| of State Health Services shall establish the border public health | ||
| response team as required by Subchapter X, Chapter 161, Health and | ||
| Safety Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
