| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a border public health initiative developed by the |
|
|
Department of State Health Services. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Chapter 66 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 66. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE |
|
|
Sec. 66.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Border county" means a county adjacent to this |
|
|
state's international border with Mexico. |
|
|
(2) "Promotora" or "community health worker" has the |
|
|
meaning assigned by Section 48.001. |
|
|
Sec. 66.002. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE. (a) The |
|
|
department shall develop an initiative to reduce the adverse health |
|
|
impacts of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity for adults and |
|
|
children in border counties. The initiative must promote: |
|
|
(1) educational resources designed to prevent those |
|
|
conditions; |
|
|
(2) screenings of persons at risk for those |
|
|
conditions; and |
|
|
(3) referrals to and treatment by health care |
|
|
providers for those conditions. |
|
|
(b) In developing the border public health initiative, the |
|
|
department may consult and collaborate with: |
|
|
(1) other health and human services agencies; |
|
|
(2) other appropriate state or federal agencies; |
|
|
(3) health science centers and medical schools; and |
|
|
(4) public and private health care providers and |
|
|
hospitals. |
|
|
Sec. 66.003. OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS. To implement the border |
|
|
public health initiative described by Section 66.002, the |
|
|
department shall conduct bilingual, culturally appropriate |
|
|
outreach campaigns in consultation and collaboration with |
|
|
appropriate individuals and entities that may include: |
|
|
(1) promotoras and community health workers; |
|
|
(2) academic centers located in border counties; |
|
|
(3) nonprofit organizations; |
|
|
(4) public schools; |
|
|
(5) public and private health care providers and |
|
|
hospitals; |
|
|
(6) worksite wellness programs; |
|
|
(7) local business and health care providers that |
|
|
provide early detection of prediabetes, prehypertension, and |
|
|
obesity; and |
|
|
(8) other local entities, as the department determines |
|
|
appropriate. |
|
|
Sec. 66.004. REPORT. Not later than January 1, 2027, the |
|
|
department shall prepare and electronically submit to the |
|
|
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
|
|
and the legislature a report describing: |
|
|
(1) health outcomes and health care savings resulting |
|
|
from prevention, screenings, and treatment of chronic diseases |
|
|
under the border public health initiative; and |
|
|
(2) other findings resulting from the border public |
|
|
health initiative that the department determines are relevant. |
|
|
Sec. 66.005. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires December 31, |
|
|
2035. |
|
|
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, 2023. |