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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a public health extension service pilot program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 123 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 123. PUBLIC HEALTH EXTENSION SERVICE |
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PILOT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 123.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Department" means the Department of State Health |
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Services. |
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(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. |
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(3) "Program" means the public health extension |
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service pilot program established under this chapter. |
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Sec. 123.002. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED; PURPOSES. The |
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department shall establish a public health extension service pilot |
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program in Health Service Region 11, a region of the state that may |
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be particularly vulnerable to biosecurity threats, disaster, and |
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other emergencies. The purpose of the program is to: |
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(1) support local public health and medical |
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infrastructure and promote: |
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(A) disease control and medical preparedness; |
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and |
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(B) biosecurity and the detection of the |
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introduction of dangerous biologic agents, enhanced availability |
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of environmental and toxicologic pathology services, and |
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management of hazardous materials; and |
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(2) evaluate the effectiveness of a public health |
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extension service program for regions of the state that may be |
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particularly vulnerable to biosecurity threats, disaster, and |
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other emergencies. |
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Sec. 123.003. RULES. The executive commissioner may adopt |
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rules for the implementation and administration of the program. |
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Sec. 123.004. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION. The department may |
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contract with The Texas A&M University System or The University of |
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Texas System, or both systems, to implement or administer all or any |
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part of the program. |
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Sec. 123.005. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES. Through the program, the |
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department may implement projects and systems to accomplish the |
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purposes of the program described by Section 123.002, and may: |
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(1) provide support for regional disaster medical |
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assistance teams and tactical medical operations incident |
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management teams; |
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(2) establish a disaster training and exercise |
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program; |
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(3) establish and equip caches to ensure local |
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availability of necessary medical supplies and equipment for use in |
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disasters and other emergencies; |
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(4) establish a regionally based system of emergency |
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medical logistics management to support state and federal emergency |
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management authorities that includes: |
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(A) local patient triage sites; and |
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(B) local emergency medical operations; and |
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(5) establish a regionally based system to provide |
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technical assistance for disaster mitigation and recovery. |
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Sec. 123.006. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2010, the |
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department shall report to the governor, lieutenant governor, and |
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speaker of the house of representatives on the program. The report |
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shall include recommendations for continuation of the program and |
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expansion of the program to other regions of the state that may be |
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particularly vulnerable to biosecurity threats, disaster, and |
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other emergencies. |
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Sec. 123.007. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires and the |
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program is abolished September 2, 2011. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |