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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of the Center for Correctional Public |
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Health and Health Promotion. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle E, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 115 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 115. CENTER FOR CORRECTIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH |
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PROMOTION |
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Sec. 115.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "center" means |
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the Center for Correctional Public Health and Health Promotion. |
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Sec. 115.002. SUNSET PROVISION. The Center for |
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Correctional Public Health and Health Promotion is subject to |
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Chapter 325, Government Code (Texas Sunset Act). Unless continued |
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in existence as provided by that chapter, the center is abolished |
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and this chapter expires September 1, 2019. |
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Sec. 115.003. COMPOSITION OF GOVERNING BOARD. (a) The |
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governing board of the center is composed of: |
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(1) the administrative head of the following agencies |
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or that person's designee: |
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(A) the Department of State Health Services; and |
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(B) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; and |
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(2) the following members appointed by the governor: |
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(A) a representative of a county correctional |
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department; |
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(B) a correctional health care worker; |
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(C) a representative of an organization that |
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represents inmates; and |
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(D) a representative from the institution of |
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higher education where the center is located. |
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(b) Members of the governing board of the center appointed |
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by the governor serve staggered two-year terms, with the terms of |
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two members expiring on February 1 of each year. |
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Sec. 115.004. CENTER FOR CORRECTIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND |
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HEALTH PROMOTION. (a) The Center for Correctional Public Health |
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and Health Promotion must be based at an institution of higher |
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education selected by the Department of State Health Services that: |
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(1) offers a master's of public health degree program |
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or has a health science center; and |
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(2) is involved in issues relating to health care of |
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inmates at correctional facilities in this state. |
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(b) The center must also be affiliated with an institution |
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of higher education that offers a criminal justice degree program. |
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Sec. 115.005. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The center shall |
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focus its efforts at preventing and reducing communicable diseases |
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in inmate populations at correctional facilities and in those |
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populations that are most likely to come in contact with inmates in |
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a correctional environment. |
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(b) The center shall emphasize preventive programs that |
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emphasize risk situations and risk behaviors. |
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(c) In developing and implementing programs under this |
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chapter, the center: |
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(1) shall work with state and local correctional |
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health agencies, including providers of correctional health care |
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and the public health section of the Texas Department of Criminal |
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Justice health services division; and |
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(2) may work with the American Correctional |
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Association, the American Correctional Health Services |
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Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and |
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organizations representing inmates. |
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(d) The center shall: |
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(1) develop and implement preventive education and |
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risk reduction programs; |
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(2) perform behavioral interventions; |
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(3) perform health screenings and provide early |
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intervention or care; |
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(4) provide immunizations where available; |
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(5) assess the cost-effectiveness of interventions |
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and demonstration projects; |
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(6) assess the impact of correctional programs on |
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community health; |
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(7) provide graduate and continuing education in |
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correctional public health and infectious diseases; |
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(8) evaluate demonstration projects in correctional |
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institutions and disseminate the results; and |
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(9) carry out joint research projects with |
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correctional administrations. |
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(e) The center shall carry out research and training, with |
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specific funded fellowship positions being available for |
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correctional staff to spend a semester or longer or to undertake |
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graduate education in the area within the center. |
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Sec. 115.006. EMPLOYEES OF CENTER. The center shall employ |
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full-time and part-time faculty members of the institution of |
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higher education in which the center is based. The faculty members |
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must have research interests in issues relating to public health |
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and disease prevention in correctional institutions, including: |
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(1) HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B |
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and C, and tuberculosis; |
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(2) substance abuse; |
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(3) health promotion and health education; |
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(4) program evaluation; |
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(5) health policy; |
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(6) criminology and criminal justice; |
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(7) correctional health care and treatment; or |
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(8) other relevant areas. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2007, the governor |
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shall appoint members to the governing board of the Center for |
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Correctional Public Health and Health Promotion as required by |
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Section 115.003, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act. In |
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making the initial appointments to the governing board, the |
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governor shall designate two members for terms expiring February 1, |
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2008, and two members for terms expiring February 1, 2009. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |