C.S.H.B. 1097 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1097 By: Capelo Public Health Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Birth Defects Monitoring Division was established within TDH in 1994 as mandated by the Texas Birth Defects Act of 1993. Its mission is to identify and describe the patterns of birth defects in Texas and collaborate with others in prevention initiative, research, and referral of families into services. Over 50,000 medical charts are reviewed annually to yield approximately 11,000 cases with one or more major malfunction. Current language allows TDH to operate a Birth Defects registry, but does not require that they operate one. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Requires the Board of Health to establish a birth defects monitoring program to identify and investigate certain birth defects in children and create a registry to track birth defects. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if this Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute differs from the original in that it adds language that allows TDH to collect birth defects information with either an active or passive system of collection.