BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2190

By: Veasey

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Approximately eight percent of the U.S. population as a whole and 23 percent of the population age 60 and older have diabetes. Diabetes is a life-threatening, disfiguring, and traumatic disease for millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Texans. This, however, does not have to be the case.  Type II diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, can often be prevented or delayed with certain diet and lifestyle changes.

H.B. 2190 authorizes the Department of State Health Services to assist counties with a population of more than 100,000 in providing an adult diabetes education program based on a curriculum developed by the Texas Diabetes Council.

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. 2190 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize the Department of State Health Services to assist hospital districts and county hospital systems in counties with populations of more than 100,000 in providing an adult diabetes education program.  The bill requires the program to be based on a curriculum developed by the Texas Diabetes Council.  The bill requires a hospital district or county hospital system that participates in the program to make the adult diabetes education program available in English and Spanish using that curriculum and to make the education program available in the county, including at each rural health clinic the district or system may have.  The bill requires the Texas Diabetes Council to develop for the adult diabetes education program a curriculum emphasizing life choices that enable a diabetic patient to control the disease and improve the patient's standard of living.

H.B. 2190 requires the Texas Diabetes Council to develop this curriculum not later than June 1, 2010. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.