1-1     By:  Ellis                                             S.B. No. 806
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 2, 1999; March 3, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Health Services;
 1-4     April 15, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 15, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 806                  By:  Lindsay
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the provision of medical care services to inmates
1-11     confined by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and to certain
1-12     administrative matters pertaining to the provision of those
1-13     services.
1-14           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-15           SECTION 1.  Subsection (k), Section 501.059, Government Code,
1-16     is amended to read as follows:
1-17           (k)  The committee may enter into a contract on behalf of the
1-18     department to fully implement the managed health care plan under
1-19     Subsection (h).  The committee, not later than October 31 of each
1-20     year, shall report to the governor, the comptroller, the state
1-21     auditor, and the Legislative Budget Board regarding any amounts
1-22     received in the previous fiscal year in excess of costs incurred in
1-23     the previous fiscal year in  providing health care services under
1-24     the managed health care plan.  On reporting under this subsection,
1-25     the committee shall deposit half of the excess amounts received to
1-26     the general revenue fund.
1-27           SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 501, Government Code, is
1-28     amended by adding Section 501.0591 to read as follows:
1-29           Sec. 501.0591.  USE OF TELEMEDICINE AND TELEMEDICINE
1-30     RESOURCES.  (a)  The University of Texas Medical Branch at
1-31     Galveston and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, in
1-32     conjunction with the Correctional Managed Health Care Advisory
1-33     Committee, shall develop and implement a comprehensive plan for
1-34     expanding the use of telemedicine within the prison system.  The
1-35     plan must include measures designed to reduce inmate transportation
1-36     and health care costs.
1-37           (b)  The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and
1-38     the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center may use
1-39     correctional telemedicine resources for rural health care
1-40     initiatives and for purposes of rural health care education.  The
1-41     Center for Rural Health Initiatives may assist the Correctional
1-42     Managed Health Care Advisory Committee and the universities in
1-43     coordinating a statewide effort to link rural communities with
1-44     health education centers through correctional telemedicine
1-45     resources.  This subsection does not permit the provision of direct
1-46     patient care in a location where services are reasonably available.
1-47     The Texas Department of Health shall determine whether services are
1-48     reasonably available in the location.
1-49           (c)  The Correctional Managed Health Care Advisory Committee
1-50     and any ad hoc committee of the department that deals with
1-51     transportation issues shall report to the 77th Legislature
1-52     regarding the progress made in expanding the use of telemedicine in
1-53     providing inmate health care services and reducing inmate
1-54     transportation and health care costs.  The report must include
1-55     implementation plans, a timetable, and an analysis of costs
1-56     incurred and savings realized through expanding the use of
1-57     telemedicine.  In receiving a report under this subsection, the
1-58     legislature shall consider dedicating any savings realized through
1-59     expanding the use of telemedicine for purposes of further expanding
1-60     the use of telemedicine to provide inmate health care services.
1-61     This subsection expires September 1, 2001.
1-62           SECTION 3.  (a)  The Correctional Managed Health Care
1-63     Advisory Committee shall annually deposit amounts received to the
1-64     general revenue fund as required by Subsection (k), Section
 2-1     501.059, Government Code, as amended by this Act, beginning not
 2-2     later than October 31, 2000.
 2-3           (b)  The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and
 2-4     the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, in conjunction
 2-5     with the Correctional Managed Health Care Advisory Committee, shall
 2-6     develop and begin implementation of the comprehensive plan required
 2-7     by Subsection (a), Section 501.0591, Government Code, as added by
 2-8     this Act, not later than January 1, 2000.
 2-9           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-10           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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