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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public health disaster and public health emergency |
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preparedness and response, including the operation of the Task |
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Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Sections 81.027 and 81.028 to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 81.027. TRAUMA SERVICE AREA REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL |
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DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING. (a) Each trauma service area |
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regional advisory council shall collect from each hospital located |
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in the regional advisory council's trauma service area the |
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de-identified health care data, including demographic data, |
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necessary for this state and the area to effectively plan for and |
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respond to public health disasters and communicable or infectious |
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disease emergencies in this state. The executive commissioner by |
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rule shall prescribe the data each council must collect under this |
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subsection. |
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(b) A trauma service area regional advisory council shall: |
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(1) provide the data collected under Subsection (a) to |
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the department; and |
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(2) make the data publicly available by: |
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(A) posting the data on the regional advisory |
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council's Internet website; or |
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(B) if the regional advisory council does not |
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maintain an Internet website, providing the data in writing on |
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request. |
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(c) Information collected or maintained under this section |
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that identifies a patient is confidential and exempt from |
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disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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Sec. 81.028. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT RESERVES. (a) |
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In this section, "personal protective equipment" means specialized |
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clothing or equipment worn for protection against communicable and |
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other infectious diseases. |
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(b) The department shall, if money is appropriated to the |
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department for the purposes of this section, establish a reserve, |
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or regional reserves, of personal protective equipment to support a |
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response to public health disasters and communicable or infectious |
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disease emergencies in this state. |
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SECTION 2. Section 81.404(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The governor may appoint members of the task force as |
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necessary, including members from relevant state agencies, members |
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with expertise in infectious diseases and other issues involved in |
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the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases, and members |
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from institutions of higher education in this state. The governor |
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shall appoint to the task force: |
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(1) at least one member who is a county judge of a |
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county with a population of less than 100,000; |
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(2) at least one member who is a county judge of a |
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county with a population of 100,000 or more; |
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(3) at least one member who is a representative of a |
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local health authority serving a rural area; |
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(4) at least one member who is a representative of a |
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local health authority serving an urban area; |
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(5) at least one member who is a licensed nurse; [and] |
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(6) at least one member who is emergency medical |
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services personnel, as defined by Section 773.003; and |
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(7) at least one member who is an epidemiologist. |
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SECTION 3. Section 81.406(a), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The task force shall meet: |
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(1) at least once each year at a location determined by |
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the task force director; and |
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(2) at other times and locations as determined by the |
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task force director [of the task force]. |
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SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2022, the governor |
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shall appoint the member of the Task Force on Infectious Disease |
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Preparedness and Response as required by Section 81.404(a)(7), |
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Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. The Department of State Health Services is |
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required to implement Section 81.028, Health and Safety Code, as |
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added by this Act, only if the legislature appropriates money |
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specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not |
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appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the department |
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may, but is not required to, implement Section 81.028 using other |
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appropriations available for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |