By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 424

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment and implementation of school-based influenza vaccination programs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. (a) The Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency shall conduct a joint study of school-based influenza vaccination programs.

(b) The Texas Immunization Stakeholder Working Group shall establish within the working group a subcommittee composed of representatives from:

(1) the Texas Pediatric Society;

(2) the Texas Academy of Family Physicians;

(3) the Texas Medical Association;

(4) the Texas Association of School Administrators;

(5) the Texas Association of School Boards;

(6) the Texas School Nurses Organization; and

(7) an entity with knowledge of best practices for the effective use of state and local public health resources based on information from other states that have implemented school-based influenza vaccination programs.

(c) Members of the Texas Immunization Stakeholder Working Group subcommittee shall make recommendations to the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency regarding:

(1) the design of the survey instrument used to collect data from schools with an influenza vaccination program under Subsection (d)(2) of this section; and

(2) the content of the report required under Subsection (e) of this section.

(d) The Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency shall:

(1) identify school districts in this state in which a school-based influenza vaccination program has been conducted on or after September 1, 2006;

(2) collect relevant data related to the programs, including, when available:

(A) how an influenza vaccine was purchased or obtained;

(B) a comparison of how insured and uninsured students were managed under the program;

(C) the costs associated with administering the program;

(D) for each school year that the program was administered, the number of students, by grade level, that:

(i) were vaccinated, refused the vaccine, or were not vaccinated; and

(ii) were enrolled in the school district;

(E) the number of school faculty and staff vaccinated;

(F) student absentee rates during a school year that the school district:

(i) administered a program; and

(ii) did not administer a program;

(G) the number of schools that closed due to influenza or influenza-like illness and the number of days that each school was closed;

(H) the nature and degree of involvement in the implementation of a program of:

(i) a public health department;

(ii) other community resources; or

(iii) private health care providers; and

(I) whether the vaccinations were reported to the immunization registry maintained by the Department of State Health Services under Section 161.007, Health and Safety Code;

(3) identify best practices of a school district that implemented a school-based influenza vaccination program; and

(4) identify barriers encountered by a school district that implemented a school-based influenza program and how the barriers were overcome.

(e) Not later than December 1, 2010, the Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency shall submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and presiding officer of each standing committee of the legislature with jurisdiction over the department and the agency a jointly written report, based on the study, that evaluates the feasibility of implementing an annual statewide school-based influenza vaccination program and that includes:

(1) an analysis of the costs and benefits of implementing school-based influenza vaccination programs;

(2) identification of barriers to implementing school-based influenza vaccination programs and recommendations for removing those barriers;

(3) a projection of the fiscal impact of implementing a statewide school-based influenza vaccination program;

(4) an analysis of the impact of the programs studied on private practice physicians and health care providers who administer influenza vaccinations in this state, based on the programs studied;

(5) an analysis of the impact of a statewide school-based influenza vaccination program on private practice physicians and health care providers who administer influenza vaccinations in this state and recommendations for how to overcome any barriers; and

(6) the role of public health departments and community resources in the administration of school-based influenza vaccination programs.

SECTION 2. This Act expires September 1, 2011.

SECTION 3. 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, 2009.