HBA-NMO C.S.H.B. 3334 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3334 By: McClendon Public Health 4/24/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current efforts to exchange healthcare information and technical assistance between Texas and Mexico may not be delivering their full potential. C.S.H.B. 3334 requires the Texas Department of Health to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of information on disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and Mexico. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the interim committee on binational exchange of health information in SECTION 1 of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of information on disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and the United Mexican States, and the cross-border exchange of equipment and personnel to provide technical assistance and to enhance the capacity of Texas and the United Mexican States to obtain and exchange information. Authorizes TDH to appoint an advisory committee to assist it to perform its duties under this Act. Requires TDH, not later than January 15, 2001, to issue a report describing the its recommendations to the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives. Provides that this section expires on September 1, 2001. SECTION 2.Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The caption reflects the changes made by the substitute. The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 1 by requiring the Texas Department of Health to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of information on disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and the United Mexican States, and the cross-border exchange of equipment and personnel to provide technical assistance and to enhance the capacity of Texas and the United Mexican States to obtain and exchange information. The original would have established the interim committee on binational exchange of health information, composed of five members of the senate and five members of the house of representatives, to address the same issue. The substitute deletes SECTION 2 of the original to make a conforming change. Redesignates SECTION 3 (emergency clause) of the original as SECTION 2.