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.
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