C.S.S.B. 957 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 957 By: Van de Putte Defense Affairs and State-Federal Relations Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas State Veterans Homes Program (TSVH) entered a contract with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (USDVA) for the provision of pharmaceuticals to the state homes for the cost savings afforded by the USDVA. Because of the current requirements in the Occupations Code, the USDVA cannot provide or stock the emergency medication kits for the Homes. The TSVH must use outside pharmacies for these provisions, which increases the TSVH's overall pharmaceutical costs. C.S.S.B. 957 would allow the TSVH to use a USDVA pharmacy or other federally operated pharmacies for the provision and stocking of the Homes' emergency medication kits. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends the Occupations Code by adding language to allow a United States Department of Veterans Affairs pharmacy to maintain controlled substances and dangerous drugs in an emergency medication kit used at Texas State Veterans Homes. SECTION 2. Effective Date: This Act takes effect September 1, 2003, unless it receives the votes necessary for immediate effect. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute modifies the original version of the bill in that it inserts the language directly into an existing subsection in code. The language is the same.