1-1     By:  Maxey, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)       H.B. No. 1716

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997;

 1-3     May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Health

 1-4     and Human Services; May 17, 1997, reported adversely, with

 1-5     favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays

 1-6     0; May 17, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1716               By:  Zaffirini

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the membership and duties of the statewide health

1-11     coordinating council.

1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 104.011, Health and Safety Code, is

1-14     amended to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 104.011.  COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL.  (a)  The statewide

1-16     health coordinating council is composed of 17 [15] members

1-17     determined as follows:

1-18                 (1)  the commissioner of health and human services or a

1-19     representative designated by the commissioner;

1-20                 (2)  the presiding officer of the Texas Higher

1-21     Education Coordinating Board or a representative designated by the

1-22     presiding officer;

1-23                 (3)  the presiding officer of the department or a

1-24     representative designated by the presiding officer;

1-25                 (4)  the presiding officer of the Texas Health Care

1-26     Information Council or a representative designated by the presiding

1-27     officer;

1-28                 (5)  the presiding officer of the Texas Department of

1-29     Mental Health and Mental Retardation or a representative designated

1-30     by the presiding officer; and

1-31                 (6)  the following members appointed by the governor:

1-32                       (A)  three health care professionals from the

1-33     allied health, dental, medical, mental health, nursing, and

1-34     pharmacy professions, no two of whom may be from the same

1-35     profession;

1-36                       (B)  two representatives of a university or

1-37     health-related institution of higher education;

1-38                       (C)  one representative of a junior or community

1-39     college;

1-40                       (D)  one hospital administrator;

1-41                       (E)  one managed care administrator; and

1-42                       (F)  four public members [.  The governor shall

1-43     appoint three members who represent health care professionals,

1-44     three members who represent institutions of higher education, three

1-45     members who are consumer advocates, and six public members].

1-46           (b)  The appointments of the governor shall be with the

1-47     advice and consent of the senate.

1-48           SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety

1-49     Code, is amended by adding Section 104.015 to read as follows:

1-50           Sec. 104.015.  ADVISORY BOARDS AND AD HOC COMMITTEES.  The

1-51     statewide health coordinating council may form advisory boards or

1-52     ad hoc committees composed of health care experts from the public

1-53     and private sectors to review policy matters related to the

1-54     council's purpose.

1-55           SECTION 3.  Section 105.001, Health and Safety Code, is

1-56     amended to read as follows:

1-57           Sec. 105.001.  DEFINITIONS [DEFINITION].  In this chapter:

1-58                 (1)  "Health[, "health] profession" means any health or

1-59     allied health profession that is licensed, certified, or registered

1-60     by a state board, agency, or association.

1-61                 (2)  "Council" means the statewide health coordinating

1-62     council.

1-63           SECTION 4.  Section 105.002, Health and Safety Code, is

1-64     amended to read as follows:

 2-1           Sec. 105.002.  Establishment of Center.  In conjunction with

 2-2     the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and in such a way as

 2-3     to avoid duplication of effort, the council [department] shall

 2-4     establish a comprehensive health professions resource center for

 2-5     the collection and analysis of educational and employment trends

 2-6     for health professions in this state.

 2-7           SECTION 5.  Section 105.003, Health and Safety Code, is

 2-8     amended to read as follows:

 2-9           Sec. 105.003.  COLLECTION OF DATA.  (a)  The council

2-10     [department] shall place a high priority on collecting and

2-11     disseminating data on health professions demonstrating an acute

2-12     shortage in this state, including:

2-13                 (1)  data concerning nursing personnel; and

2-14                 (2)  data concerning the health professions in which

2-15     shortages occur in rural areas.

2-16           (b)  To the extent possible, the council [department] may

2-17     collect the data from existing sources that the council

2-18     [department]  determines are credible.  The council [department]

2-19     may enter agreements with those sources that establish guidelines

2-20     concerning the identification, acquisition, transfer, and

2-21     confidentiality of the data.

2-22           (c)  At a minimum, the data collected by the council

2-23     [department] must include the following in regard to health

2-24     professionals:

2-25                 (1)  their number and geographic distribution;

2-26                 (2)  licensure or certification status;

2-27                 (3)  specialty areas, if applicable; and

2-28                 (4)  trends or changes in license holders according to

2-29     number or geographic distribution.

2-30           SECTION 6.  Section 105.004, Health and Safety Code, is

2-31     amended to read as follows:

2-32           Sec. 105.004.  REPORTS.  The council [department] may use the

2-33     data collected and analyzed under this chapter  to publish reports

2-34     regarding:

2-35                 (1)  the educational and employment trends for health

2-36     professions;

2-37                 (2)  the supply and demand of health professions; and

2-38                 (3)  other issues, as necessary, concerning health

2-39     professions in this state.

2-40           SECTION 7.  Section 105.007, Health and Safety Code, is

2-41     amended to read as follows:

2-42           Sec. 105.007.  CLEARINGHOUSE.  (a)  As part of the

2-43     comprehensive health professions resource center, the council

2-44     [department] shall develop and establish a clearinghouse for health

2-45     professionals seeking collaborative practice.

2-46           (b)  The council [department] may:

2-47                 (1)  set and collect a reasonable fee to offset the

2-48     cost of complying with this section;

2-49                 (2)  solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and

2-50     donations from public and private sources to comply with this

2-51     section; and

2-52                 (3)  contract with public or private entities in the

2-53     performance of its responsibilities under this section.

2-54           SECTION 8.  Subchapter D, Chapter 104, Health and Safety

2-55     Code, is amended by adding Section 104.0421 to read as follows:

2-56           Sec. 104.0421.  STATEWIDE DATA COLLECTION AND COORDINATION.

2-57     (a)  The statewide health coordinating council shall work with

2-58     appropriate health professional licensing agencies to develop

2-59     uniform standards for health professional data collected by those

2-60     agencies to enable the council to maintain a comprehensive health

2-61     professional database.

2-62           (b)  The council shall retrieve data on health professionals

2-63     from the appropriate licensing agencies.  The council may seek the

2-64     assistance of the appropriate licensing agency or department in the

2-65     retrieval of data on health professionals.

2-66           (c)  The council shall monitor and evaluate long-term

2-67     regional, statewide, and local health needs.  The council shall use

2-68     this evaluation for developing recommendations relating to health

2-69     education, training, and regulation.

 3-1           (d)  The council shall use data collected under this section

 3-2     to develop workforce goals for health professionals and to

 3-3     recommend the appropriate level and distribution of state funding

 3-4     for education and training to achieve these goals.  The council

 3-5     shall evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of the

 3-6     recommendations made under this subsection.

 3-7           (e)  The council shall, with the assistance of higher

 3-8     education agencies and institutions, area health education centers,

 3-9     teaching hospitals, and health education institutions, improve

3-10     coordination of statewide health planning.  The council may seek

3-11     the assistance of the National Association of Health Data

3-12     Organizations, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the

3-13     National Council of State Legislatures, the American Association of

3-14     Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, the Association of American

3-15     Health Centers, and any other appropriate entities.

3-16           (f)  The department shall continue to assist the council and

3-17     the health professions resource center with the development of the

3-18     state health plan.  The council shall coordinate related health

3-19     planning functions within the department.  The staff of the health

3-20     professions resource center shall continue to be department

3-21     employees but are governed by the council.  The staff of the Bureau

3-22     of State Health Data and Policy Analysis that previously assisted

3-23     the council shall continue to assist the council.

3-24           SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

3-25           SECTION 10.  (a)  The statewide health coordinating council

3-26     that existed immediately before the effective date of this Act is

3-27     abolished on the effective date of this Act.

3-28           (b)  In appointing the initial members of the statewide

3-29     health coordinating council as reconstituted by this Act, the

3-30     governor shall appoint four members to terms expiring August 1,

3-31     1999; four to terms expiring August 1, 2001; and four to terms

3-32     expiring August 1, 2003.

3-33           SECTION 11.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-34     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-35     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-36     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-37     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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