| TO: | Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, House Committee on Public Health |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB969 by Nelson (Relating to the establishment of the Public Health Funding and Policy Committee within the Department of State Health Services.), As Engrossed |
The bill amends the Health and Safety Code by adding Chapter 117, which establishes the Public Health Funding and Policy Committee (Committee).
The Committee would define the core public health services a local health entity should provide, evaluate public health in the state and areas that need improvement, identify funding available to perform these functions, and make recommendations to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) on the use and allocation of funding available to local health entities to perform these services and ways to improve the overall public health of the state. The bill specifies that the Committee meet at least quarterly; however, to ensure appropriate representation from all areas of this state, the Committee may meet by videoconference or telephone conference call.
The bill would not allow for compensation or reimbursement for travel expenses for Committee members, and the bill directs the use of existing administrative staff to provide administrative and consultative support to the Committee. It is assumed that any costs associated with the establishment and administration of the new Committee could be absorbed within existing agency resources.
| Source Agencies: | 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 537 State Health Services, Department of
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, CL, MB, JF, NB
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