79R20283 MSE-F
Suspending limitations on conference committee
jurisdiction, H.B. No. 1126 (Uresti/Madla)
By: Uresti H.R. No. 2251
R E S O L U T I O N
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of
Texas, 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, That House Rule 13,
Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule 13,
Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to
resolve the differences on House Bill 1126 (emergency medical
services vehicles and personnel and the collection and use of
certain health-related data) to consider and take action on the
following matter:
House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit the
committee to add the following new SECTIONS to read as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 104.042(e), Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(e) Data received by the department under this section
containing information identifying specific patients [persons or
health care facilities] is confidential, is not subject to
disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, and may not be
released unless the [all identifying] information identifying the
patient is removed. This subsection does not authorize the release
of information that is confidential under Chapter 108.
SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 104.044 to read as follows:
Sec. 104.044. SORTING COLLECTED DATA. (a) The department
shall compile the health data collected under this subchapter and
organize the results, to the extent possible, according to the
following geographic areas:
(1) the Texas-Mexico border region;
(2) each public health region;
(3) rural areas;
(4) urban areas;
(5) each county; and
(6) the state.
(b) Health data released under this subchapter must be
released in accordance with the way it is compiled under this
section.
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety
Code, is amended by adding Section 191.008 to read as follows:
Sec. 191.008. SORTING COLLECTED DATA. (a) The department
shall compile the information relating to births, deaths, and fetal
deaths collected under this chapter and organize the results, to
the extent possible, according to the following geographic areas:
(1) the Texas-Mexico border region;
(2) each public health region;
(3) rural areas;
(4) urban areas;
(5) each county; and
(6) the state.
(b) The department may release the information relating to
births, deaths, and fetal deaths in accordance with the way it is
compiled under this section.
SECTION 8. The change in law made by this Act to Chapters
104 and 191, Health and Safety Code, applies only to the furnishing
of data under Chapters 104 and 191, Health and Safety Code, or a
rule adopted under that chapter that is originally required to be
furnished on or after the effective date of this Act. The
furnishing of data originally required to be furnished before the
effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed
immediately before that date, and that law is continued in effect
for that purpose.
SECTION 9. The Department of State Health Services shall
consult with a group of affected persons and entities to define
rural and urban areas for purposes of Sections 104.044 and 191.008,
Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, including:
(1) individuals with expertise in rural health
services research, epidemiology, rural public health services
delivery, demography, health planning, and large data sets; and
(2) representatives from universities, the Department
of State Health Services, the Office of Rural Community Affairs,
area health education centers, and local and county health
departments.
Explanation: The changes are necessary to require the
Department of State Health Services to compile and organize certain
health and vital statistics related data by region, and to protect
the confidentiality of the data collected.