Bill Text: TX SB1680 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a task force of border health officials.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-12 - Effective on 9/1/17 [SB1680 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1680-Enrolled.html
S.B. No. 1680 |
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relating to a task force of border health officials. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended by adding Chapter 120 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 120. TASK FORCE OF BORDER HEALTH OFFICIALS | ||
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | ||
Sec. 120.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Border region" means the area consisting of the | ||
counties immediately adjacent to the international boundary | ||
between the United States and Mexico. | ||
(2) "Task force" means the Task Force of Border Health | ||
Officials. | ||
Sec. 120.002. SUNSET PROVISION. The task force is subject | ||
to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless | ||
continued in existence as provided by that chapter, the task force | ||
is abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2029. | ||
SUBCHAPTER B. POWERS AND DUTIES | ||
Sec. 120.051. TASK FORCE; DUTIES. (a) The department | ||
shall establish the Task Force of Border Health Officials to advise | ||
the commissioner: | ||
(1) on policy priorities addressing major issues | ||
affecting the border region residents' health and health | ||
conditions; | ||
(2) on raising public awareness of the issues | ||
described by Subdivision (1); and | ||
(3) on other health issues impacting the border region | ||
as determined by the commissioner, including: | ||
(A) barriers to accessing health care; | ||
(B) health problems affecting the region, | ||
including: | ||
(i) diabetes; | ||
(ii) infant mortality; | ||
(iii) heart disease and stroke; | ||
(iv) obesity; | ||
(v) cervical cancer; and | ||
(vi) communicable diseases, including | ||
tuberculosis; | ||
(C) factors that impede access to health care, | ||
including: | ||
(i) socioeconomic conditions; | ||
(ii) linguistic and cultural barriers; | ||
(iii) low population density; and | ||
(iv) lack of health insurance; | ||
(D) surveillance and tracking of communicable | ||
diseases, environmental factors, and other factors negatively | ||
influencing health; | ||
(E) standardization of data to ensure | ||
compatibility with data collected by border states on both sides of | ||
the international border with Mexico; | ||
(F) public health infrastructure that includes | ||
education and research institutions to train culturally competent | ||
health care providers; | ||
(G) establishment of local and regional public | ||
health programs that build on local resources and maximize the use | ||
of public dollars to address the needs of the indigent population; | ||
and | ||
(H) collaboration and cooperation with Mexican | ||
counterparts of the task force at the state and federal level, and | ||
collaboration with federal counterparts in the United States. | ||
(b) The task force shall study and make recommendations | ||
relating to the health problems, conditions, challenges, and needs | ||
of the population in the border region. | ||
(c) The task force shall submit a report of recommendations | ||
to the commissioner for short-term and long-term border plans, as | ||
described by Subchapter C, not later than November 1 of each | ||
even-numbered year. | ||
Sec. 120.052. COLLABORATION WITH OFFICE OF BORDER HEALTH. | ||
The Office of Border Health established under Section 12.071 shall | ||
provide staff support to the task force and any other assistance as | ||
needed or required by the task force, if practicable. | ||
Sec. 120.053. COMPOSITION; TERMS. (a) The task force is | ||
composed of: | ||
(1) the health department directors appointed under | ||
Section 121.033 from: | ||
(A) each county in the border region; and | ||
(B) each municipality in the border region that | ||
has a sister city in Mexico; | ||
(2) two ex officio nonvoting members who are members | ||
of the legislature: | ||
(A) one of whom is appointed by the lieutenant | ||
governor; and | ||
(B) one of whom is appointed by the speaker of the | ||
house of representatives; and | ||
(3) additional members appointed by the commissioner. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall designate a chair and vice chair | ||
of the task force from among the task force members. | ||
(c) The members appointed by the lieutenant governor and the | ||
speaker of the house of representatives serve three-year terms. | ||
Sec. 120.054. MEETINGS. (a) The task force shall meet at | ||
least quarterly each fiscal year. Members may hold meetings by | ||
conference calls and through videoconference in accordance with | ||
Section 551.127, Government Code. | ||
(b) Section 551.125, Government Code, applies to a meeting | ||
held by conference call under this section, except that Section | ||
551.125(b), Government Code, does not apply. | ||
Sec. 120.055. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A task force | ||
member is not entitled to compensation or reimbursement for | ||
expenses incurred in performing the member's duties. | ||
SUBCHAPTER C. BORDER HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN | ||
Sec. 120.101. SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM PLANS. (a) The | ||
task force shall make recommendations to the commissioner for | ||
short-term and long-term border health improvement plans. The | ||
short-term plan shall identify health objectives proposed to be | ||
accomplished before the fourth anniversary of the date the plan is | ||
adopted. The long-term plan shall identify health objectives | ||
proposed to be accomplished before the ninth anniversary of the | ||
date the plan is adopted. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall review the task force's | ||
recommendations and, based on those recommendations, recommend | ||
short-term and long-term border health improvement plans to the | ||
executive commissioner, identifying specific health objectives | ||
that may be implemented under existing law. | ||
(c) The executive commissioner shall adopt short-term and | ||
long-term border health improvement plans and direct the department | ||
to implement the portions of the plans that may be implemented | ||
within existing appropriations under existing law. | ||
(d) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, | ||
the executive commissioner shall submit a report detailing the | ||
actions taken by the task force. The report must include: | ||
(1) the status of all projects and activities | ||
involving the health issues described under Section 120.051(a)(3); | ||
(2) the funding for the expenditures; and | ||
(3) recommendations for legislation necessary to | ||
implement the short-term and long-term border health improvement | ||
plans. | ||
Sec. 120.102. APPLICATION OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 2110, | ||
Government Code, does not apply to the task force. | ||
Sec. 120.103. ASSISTANCE FROM STATE AGENCIES AND POLITICAL | ||
SUBDIVISIONS. At the request of the task force, a state agency or | ||
political subdivision of this state may cooperate with the task | ||
force to the greatest extent practicable to fully implement the | ||
task force's statutory duties. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) The commissioner of state health services, | ||
lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives | ||
shall appoint the members of the Task Force of Border Health | ||
Officials established by this Act not later than October 1, 2017. | ||
(b) The initial short-term border health improvement plan | ||
adopted under Section 120.101, Health and Safety Code, as added by | ||
this Act, must include a border health improvement plan for | ||
implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2018. The | ||
Department of State Health Services shall implement the initiatives | ||
in the short-term border health improvement plan, as directed by | ||
the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services | ||
Commission, not later than September 1, 2022. | ||
(c) The initial long-term border health improvement plan | ||
adopted under Section 120.101, Health and Safety Code, as added by | ||
this Act, must include a border health improvement plan for | ||
implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2020. The | ||
Department of State Health Services shall implement the initiatives | ||
in the long-term border health improvement plan, as directed by the | ||
executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, | ||
not later than September 1, 2027. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1680 passed the Senate on | ||
May 3, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1680 passed the House on | ||
May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 73, Nays 70, three | ||
present not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
Approved: | ||
______________________________ | ||
Date | ||
______________________________ | ||
Governor |