1-1     By:  Moncrief                                         S.B. No. 1403

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 19, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services;

 1-4     April 18, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee

 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 1; April 18, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1403                By:  Moncrief

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the establishment and funding of a blindness education,

1-11     screening, and treatment program.

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

1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 91.027, Human Resources Code, is amended

1-14     to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 91.027.  BLINDNESS EDUCATION, SCREENING, AND TREATMENT

1-16     PROGRAM [PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS AND CONSERVATION OF EYESIGHT].

1-17     (a)  The commission shall develop a Blindness Education, Screening,

1-18     and Treatment Program to provide blindness prevention education and

1-19     to provide screening and treatment [take measures it considers

1-20     advisable] to prevent blindness for residents who are not covered

1-21     under an adequate health benefit plan [and to conserve eyesight].

1-22           (b)  The program shall include:

1-23                 (1)  public education about blindness and other eye

1-24     conditions;

1-25                 (2)  screenings and eye examinations to identify

1-26     conditions that may cause blindness; and

1-27                 (3)  treatment procedures necessary to prevent

1-28     blindness.

1-29           (c)  The commission by rule shall prescribe eligibility

1-30     requirements for the program.

1-31           SECTION 2.  Section 521.421, Transportation Code, is amended

1-32     by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

1-33           (f)  The department shall collect an additional fee of $1 for

1-34     the issuance or renewal of a license to fund the Blindness

1-35     Education, Screening, and Treatment Program established under

1-36     Section 91.027, Human Resources Code.

1-37           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-38           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-39     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-40     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-41     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-42     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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