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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Rita Littlefield Chronic Kidney Disease Centralized |
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Resource Center established within the Health and Human Services |
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Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 83A to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 83A. RITA LITTLEFIELD CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE CENTRALIZED |
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RESOURCE CENTER |
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Sec. 83A.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "resource |
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center" means the Rita Littlefield Chronic Kidney Disease |
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Centralized Resource Center established under this chapter. |
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Sec. 83A.002. ESTABLISHMENT OF RESOURCE CENTER. The Rita |
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Littlefield Chronic Kidney Disease Centralized Resource Center is |
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established within the commission to serve as a centralized system |
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through which persons may: |
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(1) request and obtain information on chronic kidney |
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disease and related illnesses, including each clinical stage of |
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kidney disease and end stage renal disease; and |
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(2) register for inclusion in a kidney health clinical |
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trials registry to receive information on clinical trials and |
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clinical trial opportunities for chronic kidney disease and related |
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illnesses. |
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Sec. 83A.003. ADMINISTRATION OF RESOURCE CENTER. (a) The |
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commission shall administer the resource center in accordance with |
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this chapter. |
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(b) The commission shall: |
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(1) structure and operate the resource center in a |
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manner that provides a comprehensive approach for readily accessing |
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information on and resources for chronic kidney disease and related |
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illnesses, including for each clinical stage of kidney disease and |
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end stage renal disease; and |
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(2) establish, and the resource center shall maintain, |
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a kidney health clinical trials registry through which patients and |
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family members of those patients may register to receive |
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educational information on clinical trials and clinical trial |
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opportunities based on the clinical stage of a patient's chronic |
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kidney disease or end stage renal disease. |
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(c) The comprehensive approach described by Subsection |
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(b)(1) must allow individuals to request and obtain or to directly |
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access aggregated information on: |
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(1) chronic kidney disease awareness, prevention, and |
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professional education opportunities, including: |
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(A) awareness campaigns for chronic kidney |
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disease and related illnesses; |
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(B) information on accessing free screenings for |
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chronic kidney disease and related illnesses; |
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(C) professional resources and continuing |
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education opportunities for health care providers who treat |
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patients with chronic kidney disease or related illnesses; |
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(D) for individuals who register for inclusion in |
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the clinical trials registry established under Subsection (b)(2), |
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information on clinical trials and clinical trial opportunities for |
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chronic kidney disease and related illnesses; and |
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(E) information on chronic kidney disease |
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partners, including chronic kidney disease patient advocates, |
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dialysis professionals, health care providers, researchers, |
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manufacturers, and other appropriate persons; |
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(2) patient and family resources, including: |
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(A) educational resources containing general and |
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specific chronic kidney disease information; |
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(B) resources containing information on chronic |
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kidney disease prevention and early detection of chronic kidney |
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disease and related illnesses; |
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(C) nutritional and metabolism information for |
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individuals with chronic kidney disease and related illnesses; |
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(D) resources appropriately tailored to provide |
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information on chronic kidney disease and related illnesses to |
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individuals within groups that experience health disparities, |
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including racial minorities; |
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(E) directories for physicians who specialize in |
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kidney health; and |
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(F) programs through which an individual may |
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obtain a kidney donation or be placed on a kidney donation list; and |
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(3) resources on chronic kidney disease treatment |
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options and modalities, including: |
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(A) kidney donations and kidney transplantation |
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initiatives; |
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(B) deceased and living organ donation programs |
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and initiatives; |
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(C) organ recipient registries; |
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(D) treatment options for chronic kidney disease |
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and end stage renal disease; |
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(E) financial assistance for obtaining treatment |
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for chronic kidney disease or related illnesses; and |
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(F) options for receiving treatment for chronic |
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kidney disease or related illnesses through the use of telehealth |
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service or telemedicine medical service, as those terms are defined |
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by Section 111.001, Occupations Code. |
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(d) The commission shall ensure information provided by the |
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resource center is available in both English and Spanish. |
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Sec. 83A.004. INTERNET WEBSITE. In collaboration with the |
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Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force established under Chapter 83, the |
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commission shall establish and the resource center shall maintain |
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an Internet website through which: |
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(1) resource center employees and members of the |
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public may directly communicate and exchange information on chronic |
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kidney disease and related illnesses; and |
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(2) individuals may register in the clinical trials |
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registry established under Section 83A.003(b)(2). |
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Sec. 83A.005. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The commission |
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may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source |
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to implement this chapter. |
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SECTION 2. The Health and Human Services Commission is |
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required to implement a provision of this Act only if the |
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legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If |
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the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that |
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purpose, the commission may, but is not required to, implement a |
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provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |