Honorable Stephanie Klick, Chair, House Committee on Public Health
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB984 by Schwertner (Relating to public health disaster and public health emergency preparedness and response, including the operation of the Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The Department of State Health Services or a trauma service area regional advisory council is required to implement the provisions of the Act relating to trauma service area regional advisory council data collection and reporting only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the department or a trauma service advisory council may, but is not required to, implement the provisions using other appropriations available for that purpose.
The bill would require trauma service area regional advisory councils to collect data from hospitals necessary to plan for and respond to public health disasters or infectious disease emergencies and provide the data to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The bill would require the governor to appoint an epidemiologist to the Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response, and for the task force to meet annually.
According to DSHS, the agency would be able to absorb any costs associated with implementing the provisions of the bill within existing resources.
Local Government Impact
Regional advisory councils may experience a negative fiscal impact related to the requirement to collect data from hospitals.
Source Agencies:
529 Hlth & Human Svcs Comm, 537 State Health Services