By:  Nelson                                            S.B. No. 281
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to requiring the Texas Department of Health to allow
 1-3     health care providers to use certain vaccines in the federal
 1-4     vaccines for children program.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 161, Health and Safety
 1-7     Code, is amended by adding Section 161.010 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 161.010.  VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM.  (a)  In this
 1-9     section, "federal vaccines for children program" means the federal
1-10     program operated by the department under authority of 42 U.S.C.
1-11     Section 1396s, as amended.
1-12           (b)  The department shall allow each health care provider
1-13     participating in the federal vaccines for children program to:
1-14                 (1)  select vaccines from the list of all vaccines that
1-15     are recommended and approved by the federal advisory committee on
1-16     immunization practices and under contract with the Centers for
1-17     Disease Control of the United States Public Health Service; and
1-18                 (2)  use combination vaccines.
1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.