SRC-DBM S.B. 806 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 806
76R3504  PEP-DBy: Ellis
Health Services
4/11/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), health care
now accounts for 21 percent of all state prison spending.  Inmate health
care costs jumped from $93.6 million to $223.3 million from 1990-1997.
Texas leads all other states in prison growth and has seen prison
populations grow from 49,000 to 143,000 inmates, a 192 percent increase.
The Correctional Managed Health Care (CMHC), plan is a provider system
composed largely of medical staff from the University of Texas Branch at
Galveston (UTMB) and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in
Lubbock (TTUHSC).  Although UTMB and TTUHSC provide telemedicine services
for the prison system, they lack explicit legislative authority to use
correctional telemedicine resources to support rural health care
initiatives and rural health care education.  S.B. 806 would regulate
medical care services under an approved medical health care plan to inmates
confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and to certain
administrative matters pertaining to the provision of those services. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 806 regulates medical care services under an approved
medical health care plan to inmates confined by the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice and to certain administrative matters pertaining to the
provision of those services. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 501.059(k), Government Code, to require the
Correctional Managed Health Care Advisory Committee (committee), not later
than October 31 of each year, to report to the governor, comptroller, state
auditor, and Legislative Budget Board regarding amounts received in the
previous fiscal year in providing health care services under the managed
health care plan.  Requires the committee to deposit half of the excess
amounts received to the general revenue fund. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 501B, Government Code, by adding Section
501.0591, as follows: 

Sec. 501.0591.  USE OF TELEMEDICINE AND TELEMEDICINE RESOURCES.  (a)
Requires The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and the
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, in conjunction with the committee, to
develop and implement a comprehensive plan for expanding the use of
telemedicine within the prison system.  Requires the plan to include
measures designed to reduce inmate transportation and health care costs. 

(b)  Authorizes UTMB and the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center to use
correctional telemedicine resources for rural health care initiatives and
for purposes of rural health care education.  Authorizes the Center for
Rural Health Care Initiatives to assist the committee and the universities
in coordinating a statewide effort to link rural communities with health
education centers through correctional telemedicine resources. 
  
(c)  Requires the committee and any ad hoc committee of the department that
deals with transportation issues to report to the 77th Legislature
regarding the progress made in expanding the use of telemedicine in
providing inmate health care services and reducing inmate transportation
and health care costs.  Requires the report to include implementation
plans, a timetable, and an analysis of costs incurred and savings realized
through expanding the use of  telemedicine.  Requires the legislature, upon
receiving a report under this subsection, to consider dedicating any
savings realized through expanding the use of telemedicine for purposes of
further expanding the use of telemedicine to provide inmate health care
services.  Provides that this subsection expires September 1, 2001. 

SECTION 3. (a)  Requires the Correctional Managed Health Care Advisory
Committee to annually deposit amounts received to the general revenue fund
as required by Section 501.059(k), Government Code, as amended not later
than October 31, 2000. 

(b)  Requires the University of Texas Medical Branch at Gaveston and the
Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, in conjunction with the Correctional
Managed Health Care Advisory Committee, to develop and begin implementation
of the comprehensive plan required by Section 501.0591(a), Government Code,
as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2000. 

SECTION 4.Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5.Emergency clause.