BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1695

By: Lucio

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties raise concerns over the threat posed to the Texas border region by communicable diseases such as the Zika virus. S.B. 1695 seeks to address these concerns by providing for the establishment of mosquito control districts for certain urgent public health purposes in certain counties.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

S.B. 1695 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize a county located on the international border with Mexico for which the Department of State Health Services has documented a locally transmitted case of the Zika virus or a county located on the international border with Mexico that is adjacent to such a county to establish an urgent public health mosquito control district on issuance of an order by the county judge or commissioners court of the county stating that an urgent public health purpose requires establishment of the district and ordering the election required to establish a mosquito control district. The bill requires a county that establishes an urgent public health mosquito control district to conduct surveillance of vectors carrying communicable disease, address the capacity of the county public health infrastructure, and address the prevention and spread of vectors carrying communicable disease by funding efforts to inform people about the prevention and spread through community campaigns and regional information efforts.

S.B. 1695 requires the commissioners court of a county that establishes an urgent public health mosquito control district to establish a special public health advisory committee and provides for the composition, organization, and leadership of the seven-member committee. The bill requires a committee member, who serves without compensation, to take an oath of office prescribed by the commissioners court and requires the committee to make written recommendations to the commissioners court that the committee considers necessary to address the urgent public health purpose of the mosquito control district and implement the district's duties and to perform any other duty assigned to the committee by the commissioners court.

S.B. 1695 authorizes the commissioners court of a county that establishes an urgent public health mosquito control district to appoint a mosquito control engineer or any other public health professional the commissioners court determines is necessary to carry out the duties of the district and to address the recommendations of the special public health advisory committee.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.