1-1 By: Shapleigh S.B. No. 1857 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed April 12, 1999; April 13, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Special Committee on Border Affairs; 1-4 April 19, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, 1-5 Nays 0; April 19, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the study of barriers to the binational exchange of 1-9 health information. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. (a) The Texas Department of Health shall study 1-12 state laws inhibiting the: 1-13 (1) exchange of information on disease and 1-14 epidemiological reporting between Texas and the United Mexican 1-15 States; and 1-16 (2) cross-border exchange of equipment and personnel 1-17 to provide technical assistance and to enhance the capacity of 1-18 Texas and the United Mexican States to obtain and exchange the 1-19 information. 1-20 (b) The Texas Department of Health may appoint an advisory 1-21 committee under Chapter 2110, Government Code, to assist it to 1-22 perform its duties under this Act. 1-23 (c) Not later than January 15, 2001, the Texas Department of 1-24 Health shall issue a report describing the department's 1-25 recommendations to the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the 1-26 house of representatives. 1-27 (d) This section expires September 1, 2001. 1-28 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-29 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-30 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-31 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-32 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-33 * * * * *