1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the membership and duties of the statewide health
1-3 coordinating council.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 104.011, Health and Safety Code, is
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 104.011. COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL. (a) The statewide
1-8 health coordinating council is composed of 17 [15] members
1-9 determined as follows:
1-10 (1) the commissioner of health and human services or a
1-11 representative designated by the commissioner;
1-12 (2) the presiding officer of the Texas Higher
1-13 Education Coordinating Board or a representative designated by the
1-14 presiding officer;
1-15 (3) the presiding officer of the department or a
1-16 representative designated by the presiding officer;
1-17 (4) the presiding officer of the Texas Health Care
1-18 Information Council or a representative designated by the presiding
1-19 officer;
1-20 (5) the presiding officer of the Texas Department of
1-21 Mental Health and Mental Retardation or a representative designated
1-22 by the presiding officer; and
1-23 (6) the following members appointed by the governor:
1-24 (A) three health care professionals from the
2-1 allied health, dental, medical, mental health, nursing, and
2-2 pharmacy professions, no two of whom may be from the same
2-3 profession;
2-4 (B) two representatives of a university or
2-5 health-related institution of higher education;
2-6 (C) one representative of a junior or community
2-7 college;
2-8 (D) one hospital administrator;
2-9 (E) one managed care administrator; and
2-10 (F) four public members [. The governor shall
2-11 appoint three members who represent health care professionals,
2-12 three members who represent institutions of higher education, three
2-13 members who are consumer advocates, and six public members].
2-14 (b) The appointments of the governor shall be with the
2-15 advice and consent of the senate.
2-16 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
2-17 Code, is amended by adding Section 104.015 to read as follows:
2-18 Sec. 104.015. ADVISORY BOARDS AND AD HOC COMMITTEES. The
2-19 statewide health coordinating council may form advisory boards or
2-20 ad hoc committees composed of health care experts from the public
2-21 and private sectors to review policy matters related to the
2-22 council's purpose.
2-23 SECTION 3. Section 105.001, Health and Safety Code, is
2-24 amended to read as follows:
2-25 Sec. 105.001. DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION]. In this chapter:
2-26 (1) "Health[, "health] profession" means any health or
2-27 allied health profession that is licensed, certified, or registered
3-1 by a state board, agency, or association.
3-2 (2) "Council" means the statewide health coordinating
3-3 council.
3-4 SECTION 4. Section 105.002, Health and Safety Code, is
3-5 amended to read as follows:
3-6 Sec. 105.002. Establishment of Center. In conjunction with
3-7 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and in such a way as
3-8 to avoid duplication of effort, the council [department] shall
3-9 establish a comprehensive health professions resource center for
3-10 the collection and analysis of educational and employment trends
3-11 for health professions in this state.
3-12 SECTION 5. Section 105.003, Health and Safety Code, is
3-13 amended to read as follows:
3-14 Sec. 105.003. COLLECTION OF DATA. (a) The council
3-15 [department] shall place a high priority on collecting and
3-16 disseminating data on health professions demonstrating an acute
3-17 shortage in this state, including:
3-18 (1) data concerning nursing personnel; and
3-19 (2) data concerning the health professions in which
3-20 shortages occur in rural areas.
3-21 (b) To the extent possible, the council [department] may
3-22 collect the data from existing sources that the council
3-23 [department] determines are credible. The council [department]
3-24 may enter agreements with those sources that establish guidelines
3-25 concerning the identification, acquisition, transfer, and
3-26 confidentiality of the data.
3-27 (c) At a minimum, the data collected by the council
4-1 [department] must include the following in regard to health
4-2 professionals:
4-3 (1) their number and geographic distribution;
4-4 (2) licensure or certification status;
4-5 (3) specialty areas, if applicable; and
4-6 (4) trends or changes in license holders according to
4-7 number or geographic distribution.
4-8 SECTION 6. Section 105.004, Health and Safety Code, is
4-9 amended to read as follows:
4-10 Sec. 105.004. REPORTS. The council [department] may use the
4-11 data collected and analyzed under this chapter to publish reports
4-12 regarding:
4-13 (1) the educational and employment trends for health
4-14 professions;
4-15 (2) the supply and demand of health professions; and
4-16 (3) other issues, as necessary, concerning health
4-17 professions in this state.
4-18 SECTION 7. Section 105.007, Health and Safety Code, is
4-19 amended to read as follows:
4-20 Sec. 105.007. CLEARINGHOUSE. (a) As part of the
4-21 comprehensive health professions resource center, the council
4-22 [department] shall develop and establish a clearinghouse for health
4-23 professionals seeking collaborative practice.
4-24 (b) The council [department] may:
4-25 (1) set and collect a reasonable fee to offset the
4-26 cost of complying with this section;
4-27 (2) solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and
5-1 donations from public and private sources to comply with this
5-2 section; and
5-3 (3) contract with public or private entities in the
5-4 performance of its responsibilities under this section.
5-5 SECTION 8. Subchapter D, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
5-6 Code, is amended by adding Section 104.0421 to read as follows:
5-7 Sec. 104.0421. STATEWIDE DATA COLLECTION AND COORDINATION.
5-8 (a) The statewide health coordinating council shall work with
5-9 appropriate health professional licensing agencies to develop
5-10 uniform standards for health professional data collected by those
5-11 agencies to enable the council to maintain a comprehensive health
5-12 professional database.
5-13 (b) The council shall retrieve data on health professionals
5-14 from the appropriate licensing agencies. The council may seek the
5-15 assistance of the appropriate licensing agency or department in the
5-16 retrieval of data on health professionals.
5-17 (c) The council shall monitor and evaluate long-term
5-18 regional, statewide, and local health needs. The council shall use
5-19 this evaluation for developing recommendations relating to health
5-20 education, training, and regulation.
5-21 (d) The council shall use data collected under this section
5-22 to develop workforce goals for health professionals and to
5-23 recommend the appropriate level and distribution of state funding
5-24 for education and training to achieve these goals. The council
5-25 shall evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of the
5-26 recommendations made under this subsection.
5-27 (e) The council shall, with the assistance of higher
6-1 education agencies and institutions, area health education centers,
6-2 teaching hospitals, and health education institutions, improve
6-3 coordination of statewide health planning. The council may seek
6-4 the assistance of the National Association of Health Data
6-5 Organizations, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the
6-6 National Council of State Legislatures, the American Association of
6-7 Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the Association of American
6-8 Health Centers, and any other appropriate entities.
6-9 (f) The department shall continue to assist the council and
6-10 the health professions resource center with the development of the
6-11 state health plan. The council shall coordinate related health
6-12 planning functions within the department. The staff of the health
6-13 professions resource center shall continue to be department
6-14 employees but are governed by the council. The staff of the Bureau
6-15 of State Health Data and Policy Analysis that previously assisted
6-16 the council shall continue to assist the council.
6-17 SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
6-18 SECTION 10. (a) The statewide health coordinating council
6-19 that existed immediately before the effective date of this Act is
6-20 abolished on the effective date of this Act.
6-21 (b) In appointing the initial members of the statewide
6-22 health coordinating council as reconstituted by this Act, the
6-23 governor shall appoint four members to terms expiring August 1,
6-24 1999; four to terms expiring August 1, 2001; and four to terms
6-25 expiring August 1, 2003.
6-26 SECTION 11. The importance of this legislation and the
6-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1716 was passed by the House on May
7, 1997, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 1716 on May 29, 1997, by a non-record
vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 1716 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 26, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor