78R2067 YDB-D

By:  Ellis                                                        S.B. No. 229



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of an interagency task force to study 
health literacy.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HEALTH LITERACY.  (a) 
In this Act:     
		(1)  "Commissioner" means the commissioner of public 
health.                
		(2)  "Health literacy" means an individual's ability to 
read, understand, and act appropriately on health care information.
		(3)  "Task force" means the Interagency Task Force on 
Health Literacy.      
	(b)  Not later than December 1, 2003, the commissioner shall 
establish the Interagency Task Force on Health Literacy to assist 
the Texas Department of Health and appropriate health and human 
services agencies of this state in studying health literacy and 
developing recommendations for improving health literacy in this 
state.
	(c)  The commissioner shall determine the number of members 
of the task force.  The commissioner shall appoint as members of the 
task force:
		(1)  representatives of appropriate health and human 
services agencies of this state;
		(2)  representatives of consumer and family advocacy 
groups; and            
		(3)  representatives of health care service providers.                        
	(d)  A member of the task force serves at the will of the 
commissioner.      
	(e)  The commissioner shall designate a member of the task 
force to serve as presiding officer.
	(f)  The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding 
officer.         
	(g)  A member of the task force may not receive compensation 
for serving on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement of 
travel expenses incurred by the member while conducting the 
business of the task force, as provided by the General 
Appropriations Act.
	(h)  The Texas Department of Health shall provide the staff 
necessary to assist the task force in performing its duties.
	(i)  The task force shall study and evaluate the health 
literacy of the residents of this state.  The task force shall:
		(1)  examine the ability of residents to access 
available health services and communicate with  health care 
providers;
		(2)  identify barriers that prevent residents with low 
health literacy from receiving health care;
		(3)  identify groups at risk for low health literacy;                         
		(4)  examine whether providing appropriate health 
information to and increasing the health literacy of the 
beneficiaries of public health insurance programs would increase 
the efficiency of health care providers and decrease expenditures; 
and
		(5)  examine the impact on health literacy of:                                
			(A)  rising health care costs;                                               
			(B)  increasingly complex health treatments;                                 
			(C)  an individual's age; and                                                
			(D)  cultural and linguistic diversity.                                      
	(j)  Not later than December 15, 2004, the task force shall 
report to the commissioner and the legislature on its findings 
under Subsection (i) of this section and make recommendations to 
the legislature on strategies for:
		(1)  improving the health literacy of the residents of 
this state;          
		(2)  promoting the use of plain language by health care 
providers;          
		(3)  simplifying the enrollment forms and procedures 
for accessing health care of insurance plans serving individuals in 
a group identified as at risk for low health literacy;
		(4)  developing resources for health care providers and 
residents of this state to increase health literacy;
		(5)  developing programs to aid the residents of this 
state in understanding health care information;
		(6)  developing educational curricula to increase 
health literacy;          
		(7)  providing multilingual assistance and information 
on health issues to residents of this state;
		(8)  developing easy-to-understand print and 
electronic information on health issues; and
		(9)  funding the recommendations of the task force.                           
	(k)  Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the 
task force.        
	(l)  This Act expires and the task force is abolished January 
1, 2005.       
	SECTION 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect September 
1, 2003.