80R14756 MSE-D
 
  By: Straus H.B. No. 2132
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the creation of a diabetes mellitus registry pilot
  program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  DIABETES MELLITUS REGISTRY PILOT PROGRAM. (a)  
  In this section, "department" means the Department of State Health
  Services.
         (b)  The department in coordination with a public health
  district shall develop and implement a pilot program to create and
  maintain a diabetes mellitus registry.
         (c)  The department shall select to participate in the pilot
  program a public health district that serves a county with a
  population of less than two million and contains a municipality
  with a population of over one million. The department and the
  public health district shall create an electronic registry to track
  the glycosylated hemoglobin level of each person who has a
  laboratory test to determine that level performed at a clinical
  laboratory in the district.
         (d)  A clinical laboratory located in the participating
  public health district shall submit to the district and the
  department the results of each glycosylated hemoglobin test that
  the laboratory performs.
         (e)  The department and the participating public health
  district shall:
               (1)  compile results submitted under Subsection (d) of
  this section in order to track:
                     (A)  the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among
  people tested in the district;
                     (B)  the level of control the patients in each
  demographic group exert over the diabetes mellitus;
                     (C)  the trends of new diagnoses of diabetes
  mellitus in the district; and
                     (D)  the health care costs associated with
  diabetes mellitus; and
               (2)  promote discussion and public information
  programs regarding diabetes mellitus.
         (f)  The participating public health district is solely
  responsible for the costs of establishing and administering the
  pilot program.
         SECTION 2.  RULES. The executive commissioner of the Health
  and Human Services Commission shall adopt rules to implement
  Section 1 of this Act, including rules to govern the format and
  method of collecting glycosylated hemoglobin data.
         SECTION 3.  CONFIDENTIALITY. (a) Reports, records, and
  information obtained under this Act are confidential, privileged,
  not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, and
  not subject to subpoena, and may not otherwise be released or made
  public except as provided by this Act. The reports, records, and
  information obtained under this Act are for the confidential use of
  the Department of State Health Services and the public health
  district participating in the pilot program and the persons or
  public or private entities that the department and district
  determine are necessary to carry out the intent of this Act.
         (b)  Medical or epidemiological information may be released:
               (1)  for statistical purposes in a manner that prevents
  identification of individuals, health care facilities, clinical
  laboratories, or health care practitioners;
               (2)  with the consent of each person identified in the
  information; or
               (3)  to promote diabetes mellitus research, including
  release of information to other diabetes registries and appropriate
  state and federal agencies, under rules adopted by the executive
  commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to ensure
  confidentiality as required by state and federal laws.
         (c)  An employee of this state or a public health district
  may not testify in a civil, criminal, special, or other proceeding
  as to the existence or contents of records, reports, or information
  concerning an individual whose medical records have been used in
  submitting data required under this Act unless the individual
  consents in advance.
         (d)  Data furnished to a diabetes mellitus registry or a
  diabetes researcher under Subsection (b) of this section is for the
  confidential use of the diabetes mellitus registry or the diabetes
  researcher, as applicable, and is subject to Subsection (a) of this
  section.
         SECTION 4.  REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2009, the
  Department of State Health Services shall submit a report to the
  governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
  representatives, and appropriate standing committees of the
  legislature regarding the diabetes mellitus pilot program that
  includes:
               (1)  an evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot
  program; and
               (2)  a recommendation to continue, expand, or eliminate
  the pilot program.
         SECTION 5.  EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2010.
         SECTION 6.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect
  immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
  elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
  Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
  immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.