By Giddings H.B. No. 2734
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the Office of Minority Health.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Article 4413(504), Revised Statutes, is amended
1-5 by adding Section 14 to read as follows:
1-6 Section 14. OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH.
1-7 (a) DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1-8 (1) "Office" means the Office of Minority Health.
1-9 (b) PURPOSE. The Office of Minority Health shall assume a
1-10 leadership role in working or contracting with state and federal
1-11 agencies, universities, private interest groups, communities,
1-12 foundations, and offices of minority health to develop minority
1-13 health initiatives and maximize use of existing resources without
1-14 duplicating existing efforts.
1-15 (c) ADVISORY BOARD.
1-16 (A) The advisory board shall serve in an advisory
1-17 capacity to the office.
1-18 (B) The advisory board is composed of:
1-19 (1) three public members appointed by the
1-20 governor;
1-21 (2) two senators appointed by the lieutenant
1-22 governor;
1-23 (3) two members of the house of representatives
2-1 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and
2-2 (4) one person from each of the following state
2-3 agencies and one person who does not represent the agency,
2-4 appointed by the executive director or commissioner of each
2-5 respective agency:
2-6 (a) the Texas Commission on Alcohol and
2-7 Drug Abuse;
2-8 (b) the Texas Department on Aging;
2-9 (c) the Department of Public Health;
2-10 (d) the Texas Department of Human
2-11 Services; and
2-12 (e) the Texas Department of Mental Health
2-13 and Mental Retardation.
2-14 (C) The governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker
2-15 of the house of representatives, and the executive directors and
2-16 commissioners shall appoint persons under Subsection (c) who have
2-17 actively participated in health issues for minorities.
2-18 (D) The persons appointed by the governor, lieutenant
2-19 governor, and the speaker of the house of representative shall hold
2-20 an annual meeting immediately after the agencies appoint new
2-21 members under Subsection (B)(4) of this section to consider if the
2-22 ethnic composition of the advisory board adequately reflects the
2-23 ethnic composition of the state. The persons appointed by the
2-24 governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker may require an agency to
2-25 appoint a new person if necessary to change the advisory board's
3-1 ethnic composition.
3-2 (E) The members of the advisory board serve two-year
3-3 terms and may be reappointed for subsequent two-year terms.
3-4 (F) The advisory board shall annually elect one of its
3-5 members as presiding officer.
3-6 (G) The advisory board shall meet quarterly and at the
3-7 call of the presiding officer and shall adopt rules for the conduct
3-8 of its meetings.
3-9 (H) Any actions taken by the advisory board must be
3-10 approved by a majority vote.
3-11 (I) Members of the advisory board receive no
3-12 compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and
3-13 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
3-14 (J) The advisory board shall establish rules to
3-15 implement this section.
3-16 (d) Administrative and Staff Support.
3-17 (A) The department shall provide administrative
3-18 support and office space to the office as necessary to carry out
3-19 the duties of this chapter.
3-20 (B) The office shall be staffed by a director, a field
3-21 coordinator, and an administrative technician.
3-22 (C) The department shall attempt to provide other
3-23 staff for the office to appropriately represent ethnic minorities.
3-24 (e) Director.
3-25 (A) The department may hire a director to serve as the
4-1 chief executive officer of the office and to perform the
4-2 administrative duties of the office.
4-3 (B) The director serves at the will of the department.
4-4 (C) The director may hire staff within the guidelines
4-5 established by the department.
4-6 (f) Advisory Board Duties.
4-7 (A) The advisory board shall assist the office by:
4-8 (1) developing and supporting legislation
4-9 designed to improve minority health;
4-10 (2) examining issues that affect minority
4-11 health;
4-12 (3) providing minority influence to other
4-13 organizations and councils that treat minority health concerns,
4-14 such as the Texas Diabetes Council, the American Heart Association,
4-15 the American Lung Association, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and
4-16 Drug Abuse, and the Texas Council on Family Violence;
4-17 (4) analyzing the effectiveness of state and
4-18 federal health programs and health education programs; and
4-19 (5) developing a strategic plan to improve the
4-20 delivery of health services to minorities.
4-21 (g) Powers and Duties of the Office.
4-22 (A) The Office shall:
4-23 (1) provide a central information and referral
4-24 source and serve as the primary state resource in coordinating,
4-25 planning, and advocating access to minority health care services in
5-1 this state;
5-2 (2) coordinate conferences and other training
5-3 opportunities to increase skills among state agencies and
5-4 government staff in management and in the appreciation of cultural
5-5 diversity;
5-6 (3) pursue and administer grant funds for
5-7 innovative projects for communities, groups, and individuals;
5-8 (4) provide recommendations and training in
5-9 improving minority recruitment in state agencies;
5-10 (5) publicize minority health issues through the
5-11 use of the media; and
5-12 (6) network with existing minority
5-13 organizations.
5-14 (B) The office may:
5-15 (1) solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts,
5-16 and donations from public and private sources; and
5-17 (2) contract with public and private entities in
5-18 the performance of its responsibilities.
5-19 (C) The department may:
5-20 (1) distribute surplus funds to be used by the
5-21 office to carry out the duties of the office.
5-22 (h) Report to the Legislature.
5-23 Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
5-24 office shall submit a biennial report to the legislature regarding
5-25 the activities of the office and any findings and recommendations
6-1 relating to minority health issues.
6-2 (i) Application of the Sunset Act.
6-3 The office is subject to Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas
6-4 Sunset Act). Unless continued in existence as provided by that
6-5 chapter, the office is abolished and this chapter expires September
6-6 1, 1999.
6-7 SECTION 2. (a) Chapter 107, Health and Safety Code, and
6-8 Chapter 136, Human Resources Code, are repealed.
6-9 (b) Any reference in law to the Council on Minority Health
6-10 Affairs means the advisory board of the Office of Minority Health.
6-11 (c) On the effective date of this Act, all records,
6-12 property, and equipment in the possession of the Council on
6-13 Minority Health Affairs are transferred to the Office of Minority
6-14 Health.
6-15 (d) The Office of Minority Health shall use all paper and
6-16 forms transferred from the Council on Minority Health Affairs
6-17 before ordering or purchasing new paper and forms.
6-18 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
6-19 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
6-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
6-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.