1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the establishment of a consortium of Alzheimer's
 1-3     disease centers.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
 1-6     by adding Chapter 151 to read as follows:
 1-7           CHAPTER 151.  CONSORTIUM OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CENTERS
 1-8           Sec. 151.001.  DEFINITION.  In this chapter, "council" means
 1-9     the Texas Council on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders.
1-10           Sec. 151.002.  CONSORTIUM; CLINICAL CENTERS.  (a)  The
1-11     council shall establish a consortium of Alzheimer's disease
1-12     centers, to be initially composed of the Alzheimer's disease
1-13     centers at the Baylor College of Medicine, the Texas Tech
1-14     University Health Sciences Center, the University of North Texas
1-15     Health Science Center at Fort Worth, and The University of Texas
1-16     Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.  The council may add
1-17     additional consortium participants to the consortium as necessary.
1-18           (b)  The council shall provide funds to the consortium
1-19     participants to assist those participants to develop clinical
1-20     centers that meet the standards of the consortium.
1-21           (c)  A participant's clinical center may employ any personnel
1-22     necessary to support its activities, including clinical,
1-23     administrative, and data management personnel.
1-24           Sec. 151.003.  PROGRAMS.  (a)  The consortium shall
 2-1     coordinate and direct its programs to provide to the extent
 2-2     practicable centralized, uniform services among the consortium
 2-3     participants.
 2-4           (b)  The consortium shall:
 2-5                 (1)  offer clinical services to all patients of the
 2-6     consortium's clinical centers, notwithstanding the independent
 2-7     status of each participant;
 2-8                 (2)  establish a database for:
 2-9                       (A)  making data available to each consortium
2-10     participant according to its specific activities;
2-11                       (B)  providing a resource index to facilitate
2-12     research projects; and
2-13                       (C)  providing data on patient health outcomes to
2-14     appropriate state agencies and to researchers in this state; and
2-15                 (3)  with the aid of the council and the National
2-16     Alzheimer's Association or its affiliate, develop and distribute to
2-17     patients, caregivers, and health care professionals educational
2-18     materials and services and inform patients of any research projects
2-19     and therapeutic trials open for their participation.
2-20           Sec. 151.004.  STEERING COMMITTEE.  To advise the council on
2-21     consortium activities, the council shall establish a steering
2-22     committee composed of one representative from each consortium
2-23     participant.
2-24           Sec. 151.005.  DATA COORDINATING CENTER.  (a)  The council
2-25     shall establish a data coordinating center to be located at the
2-26     Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.  To the extent
2-27     practicable, the center shall be operated in association with the
 3-1     data management operations of that institution's Alzheimer's
 3-2     disease center.
 3-3           (b)  The data coordinating center shall establish a database
 3-4     and make data available to each consortium participant according to
 3-5     the specific activities of the participant.
 3-6           (c)  The council shall appoint a physician or other person
 3-7     with a similar clinical background to administer the center.
 3-8           (d)  The person administering the center may employ any
 3-9     personnel necessary to support the center's activities, including a
3-10     project coordinator.  The person may require the project
3-11     coordinator to hold a master's or doctoral degree related to public
3-12     health.
3-13           (e)  The project coordinator shall coordinate the center's
3-14     activities among the center, the consortium participants, the
3-15     council, and the public.
3-16           Sec. 151.006.  FUNDING.  (a)  The council may receive state
3-17     appropriated funds for the purpose of supporting the research
3-18     activities of the consortium under this chapter.
3-19           (b)  The council may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
3-20     donations for purposes of this chapter.
3-21           Sec. 151.007.  ACCESS TO DATA.  (a)  The council may restrict
3-22     access to the data maintained by the consortium or data
3-23     coordinating center to consortium participants that contribute data
3-24     as requested by the council.
3-25           (b)  The steering committee periodically shall review and
3-26     evaluate the availability and sharing of data under this section.
3-27           Sec. 151.008.  PERFORMANCE REVIEW.  The council, with
 4-1     recommendations from the steering committee, shall review and
 4-2     evaluate the performance of the consortium participants and data
 4-3     coordinating center at least every five years.
 4-4           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 4-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 4-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 4-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 4-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 4-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-10     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1504 was passed by the House on May
         5, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, 1 present, not
         voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
         No. 1504 on May 27, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0,
         1 present, not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 1504 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 25, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  _____________________
                            Date
                    _____________________
                          Governor