HBA-RBT C.S.H.B. 1725 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1725 By: Salinas Public Health 4/10/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hepatitis A is a gastrointestinal virus that attacks the liver and is contracted through contaminated food and water and close person-to-person contact. Hepatitis A has been a longstanding problem in Hispanic communities and is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable illnesses among Hispanic children. The disease spreads with ease in schools and child-care facilities and strikes Hispanic children at a rate 10 times higher than the rate for Anglo children or African-American children according to Department of Health statistics. In addition, the number of reported cases increased from 2,798 in 1993, to 3,460 in 1996. The Department of Health statistics also indicate that for every case reported and verified, two cases go unreported. Since control of hepatitis A by vaccine requires 70 to 80 percent of the targeted population to be immune, adding it to the list of vaccines required for school or childcare entry may be an effective approach to combating the disease. C.S.H.B. 1725 establishes a hepatitis A immunization requirement for certain children who reside in a 32-county border region. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 38.001, Education Code, to define "border region" as the area composed of the counties of Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Frio, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, McMullen, Pecos, Presido, Real, Reeves, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala. Requires that each elementary student who is younger than seven years of age who resides in the border region be fully immunized against hepatitis A, with exception. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 42.043, Human Resources Code, to require the Texas Department of Health to require that each child who is at least two years of age but younger than seven years of age and who resides in the border region be fully immunized against hepatitis A. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 3. Makes application of Section 38.001, Education Code, as amended by this Act prospective to the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 1, in the amendment of Section 38.001, Education Code, by defining a 32-county "border region." Requires that each elementary school student who is younger than seven years of age who resides in the border region, rather than each student who resides in a county any part of which is located within 60 miles from the international border with the United Mexican States, as proposed, be fully immunized against hepatitis A, with exception. Makes conforming changes. The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 2, in the amendment of Section 42.043, Human Resources Code, by making changes conforming to those made in SECTION 1 of the substitute regarding the "border region." Makes additional conforming changes.