By Hirschi H.B. No. 1378 75R4343 DLF-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a donated dental services program for certain 1-3 individuals. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Chapter 62 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 62. DONATED DENTAL SERVICES PROGRAM 1-8 Sec. 62.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-9 (1) "Eligible individual" means an individual who is 1-10 eligible to receive services through the program. 1-11 (2) "Program" means the donated dental services 1-12 program established under this chapter. 1-13 (3) "Program administrator" means the person selected 1-14 by the department to administer the program under Section 62.004. 1-15 Sec. 62.002. DONATED DENTAL SERVICES PROGRAM. The 1-16 department shall establish a donated dental services program to 1-17 provide free comprehensive dental services to eligible individuals 1-18 through services donated by dentists, dental laboratories, and 1-19 related professionals. 1-20 Sec. 62.003. PROGRAM CRITERIA; ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS. (a) 1-21 The department, by rule, shall establish: 1-22 (1) program criteria, including criteria governing the 1-23 types of services to be provided by the program and the manner in 1-24 which the services are to be delivered; and 2-1 (2) eligibility criteria for individuals receiving 2-2 dental services from the program. 2-3 (b) In determining eligibility criteria under Subsection 2-4 (a)(2), the department shall give priority to serving disabled and 2-5 elderly individuals who would not otherwise have adequate access to 2-6 dental care. 2-7 Sec. 62.004. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR. The department, through 2-8 a competitive bidding process, shall select a person to serve as 2-9 program administrator. The department is not required to accept 2-10 the lowest bid and may consider the experience of the bidders in 2-11 providing similar services or programs. 2-12 Sec. 62.005. DUTIES OF PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR. (a) The 2-13 department and the program administrator shall enter a contract 2-14 specifying the program administrator's duties. 2-15 (b) Subject to the supervision of the department, the 2-16 program administrator shall: 2-17 (1) establish a network of volunteer dentists 2-18 including dental specialists, volunteer dental laboratories, and 2-19 other appropriate volunteer professionals to donate dental 2-20 services to eligible individuals; 2-21 (2) establish a telephone referral system to refer 2-22 eligible individuals to appropriate volunteers; 2-23 (3) purchase and distribute dental supplies for use by 2-24 volunteer dentists and dental laboratories; 2-25 (4) solicit, on behalf of the department, gifts and 2-26 grants of money, goods, and services for the purposes of the 2-27 program, including the donation of dental supplies; 3-1 (5) develop and implement a public awareness campaign 3-2 to educate eligible individuals about the availability of the 3-3 program; 3-4 (6) provide appropriate administrative and technical 3-5 support to the program; 3-6 (7) submit an annual report to the department that: 3-7 (A) accounts for all program funds; 3-8 (B) reports the number of individuals served by 3-9 the program and the number of dentists and dental laboratories 3-10 participating as providers in the program; and 3-11 (C) includes any other information required by 3-12 the department; and 3-13 (8) perform, as required by the department, any other 3-14 duty relating to the program. 3-15 Sec. 62.006. GIFTS AND GRANTS. The department may solicit 3-16 and accept gifts and grants of money, goods, and services for the 3-17 purposes of the program. 3-18 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 3-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-24 passage, and it is so enacted.