Bill Text: TX SB1050 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to health professional continuing education to address communicable and other diseases in border counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-18 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1050 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1050-Introduced.html
87R1478 SRA-D | ||
By: Lucio | S.B. No. 1050 |
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relating to health professional continuing education to address | ||
communicable and other diseases in border counties. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 81, Health and Safety Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter K to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER K. HEALTH PROFESSIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION TO ADDRESS | ||
COMMUNICABLE AND OTHER DISEASES IN BORDER COUNTIES | ||
Sec. 81.451. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Community health worker" has the meaning assigned | ||
by Section 48.001. | ||
(2) "Health professional" means an individual whose: | ||
(A) vocation or profession is directly or | ||
indirectly related to the maintenance of the health of another | ||
individual; and | ||
(B) duties require a specified amount of formal | ||
education and may require a special examination, certificate or | ||
license, or membership in a regional or national association. | ||
(3) "HIV" means human immunodeficiency virus. | ||
Sec. 81.452. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter | ||
applies only to a county adjacent to the international border with | ||
Mexico. | ||
Sec. 81.453. HEALTH PROFESSIONAL CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a) | ||
To the extent funds are available, the department, in collaboration | ||
with health authorities, local health departments, and public | ||
health districts, shall provide continuing education designed to | ||
reduce the incidence of communicable and other diseases in counties | ||
described by Section 81.452 to: | ||
(1) community health workers; | ||
(2) health professionals; and | ||
(3) other employees of a local health department or | ||
public health district who would benefit from the education. | ||
(b) The continuing education may address: | ||
(1) the diagnosis and treatment of communicable and | ||
other diseases, including: | ||
(A) tuberculosis, tuberculosis meningitis, | ||
multidrug resistant tuberculosis, and tuberculosis and HIV | ||
coinfections; | ||
(B) sexually transmitted diseases and HIV; and | ||
(C) liver diseases; | ||
(2) methods for increasing pediatric and adult | ||
immunization rates; | ||
(3) strategies for improving health care system | ||
operations related to public health, including identifying, | ||
monitoring, tracking, and responding to communicable and other | ||
diseases occurring in the counties described by Section 81.452; and | ||
(4) any other matter the department determines will | ||
assist health professionals, local health departments, and public | ||
health districts with addressing public health challenges in those | ||
counties. | ||
(c) The department shall identify and assess the | ||
accessibility of continuing education resources and programs for | ||
local health departments in counties described by Section 81.452 | ||
that may provide the continuing education described by this | ||
section. | ||
Sec. 81.454. FUNDING. (a) The department may solicit or | ||
accept gifts, grants, or donations to fund health professional | ||
continuing education under this subchapter. | ||
(b) The department shall collaborate with state and federal | ||
agencies, nonprofit organizations, public and private hospitals, | ||
institutions of higher education, and other relevant private sector | ||
organizations to identify, apply for, and solicit sources of | ||
funding for health professional continuing education under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
SECTION 2. The Department of State Health Services is | ||
required to implement a provision of this Act only if the | ||
legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If | ||
the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that | ||
purpose, the department may, but is not required to, implement a | ||
provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that | ||
purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |