BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2055

By: Guillen

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, enacted H.B. 1373, to create a task force to educate health care professionals about early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease. This task force combined legislators, physicians, renal care providers, the Department of State Health Services, and patient advocates to promote awareness of chronic kidney disease and make recommendations regarding the implementation of a cost-effective plan to combat the disease. The continued authorization of this task force is necessary to further educate the public about the dangers of this deadly disease.

H.B. 2055 extends the authorization for the chronic kidney disease task force and changes the duties of the task force in regards to developing a cost-effective plan.

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.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2055 amends Sections 98.003, 98.006, and 98.009, Health and Safety Code, as added by Chapter 671 (H.B. 1373), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, to extend from September 1, 2009, to September 1, 2011, the chronic kidney disease task force. The bill requires the task force to develop a cost-effective plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis, and management of chronic kidney disease for the state's population and a plan for surveillance and data analysis to assess the impact of chronic kidney disease.  The bill removes from the task force's duties the development of a plan to educate health care professionals about the advantages and methods of early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease and complications related to the disease based on the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Clinical Practice Guideline for Chronic Kidney Disease or other medically recognized clinical practice guidelines, and the development of a plan to educate health care professionals and individuals with the disease about the advantages of end-stage renal disease modality education and early renal replacement therapy, including in-center dialysis, home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis as well as other access options, and transplantation, before the onset of end-stage renal disease when kidney function is declining.  The bill removes from the task force's duties the requirement to make recommendations on the implementation of a cost-effective plan for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease for the state's population.  The bill makes a conforming change relating to the date by which the task force is required to submit a report.

EFFECTIVE DATE

August 31, 2009.