BILL ANALYSIS



H.C.R. 137
By: Delisi
04-25-95
Committee Report (Unamended)


BACKGROUND

Public health services are provided by state and local governmental
entities, including the Texas Department of Health and county and
city governments.  The Local Public Health Reorganization Act,
Chapter 121, Health and Safety Code, was enacted in 1983 to
describe the three types of entities that had evolved to deliver
public health services: 

     1.) "Public Health District" - a non-taxing entity that is
     established by more than one municipality or county.  Examples
     include the Bell County Public Health District, the Amarillo
     Bi-City-County Health District, the El Paso City-County Health
     and Environmental District, and the San Antonio Metropolitan
     Health District.

     2.) "Local Health Department" - A department of a city or
     county that provides specified public health services. 
     Examples include the Houston Health and Human Services
     Department, the Abilene Health Department, and the Lubbock
     City Health Department.

     3.) "Local Health Unit" - A division of a city or county that
     provides certain public health services but less than those
     required of a local health department.

There is no law that establishes the responsibility of local
government to provide public health services.  Almost every county
and city provides some level of services to its citizens, such as
environmental and consumer health protection (e.g. restaurant
inspections, general sanitation) or  infectious disease control and
prevention services.  However, more counties and cities are opting
to forego local funding of traditional public health services.  The
state is having to "fill in the gaps" left by the loss of local
health departments and public health districts.  The state does not
have adequate resources to perform these additional functions.

The general decrease in locally provided health services affects
the state's ability to protect the health of its citizens.
Consequently, a state and local collaborative effort is needed to
solve this growing problem.  A joint effort among state and local
governments, facilitated by the academic community, will study this
issue and present recommendations to the 75th Legislature.

PURPOSE

This resolution calls for the Texas Department of Health, the
Blackland Research Center and the Texas A&M University System, and
the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, in conjunction
with city and county government, to study the role of local
government in providing public health services, and to report the
findings and recommendations to the 75th Legislature.


SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.C.R. 137 was considered by the Public Health Committee in a
public hearing on April 25, 1995.

The resolution was reported favorably without amendment, and with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote
of 6 Ayes, 0 Nays, 0 PNV, and 3 Absent.