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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Transgender Healthcare |
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Advisory Committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Advisory committee" means the Transgender |
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Healthcare Advisory Committee. |
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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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(b) The Health and Human Services Commission shall |
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establish the Transgender Healthcare Advisory Committee to develop |
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and provide recommendations on: |
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(1) the health care and insurance needs for persons |
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who identify as transgender; and |
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(2) the adverse health impacts for patients who do not |
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meet traditional gender standards under the Healthcare Common |
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Procedure Coding System adopted by the Centers for Medicare & |
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Medicaid Services of the United States Department of Health and |
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Human Services or the American Medical Association's Current |
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Procedural Terminology codes. |
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(c) The advisory committee is composed of 15 members |
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appointed by the executive commissioner, unless otherwise |
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provided, as follows: |
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(1) two representatives from a statewide or regional |
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lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender or gender-identity |
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advocacy organization; |
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(2) one physician with broad experience working with |
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persons who identify as transgender; |
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(3) one representative from a lesbian, gay, bisexual, |
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and transgender or gender-identity resource center; |
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(4) one representative from a statewide medical |
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association; |
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(5) one representative from a statewide physicians' |
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association; |
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(6) one representative from a statewide pediatric |
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physicians' association; |
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(7) one representative from a statewide insurance |
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association; |
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(8) one representative from the Health and Human |
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Services Commission; |
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(9) one representative from the Department of State |
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Health Services; |
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(10) one representative from the Department of Family |
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and Protective Services; |
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(11) one representative from the Texas Department of |
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Insurance, appointed by the commissioner of insurance; |
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(12) one representative from the Texas Department of |
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Criminal Justice, appointed by the executive director of the |
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department; |
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(13) one representative from The University of Texas |
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at Austin, Texas A&M University at College Station, or the |
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University of Houston; and |
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(14) one representative from The University of Texas |
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Health Science Center at Houston or The Texas A&M University Health |
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Science Center. |
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(d) The executive commissioner shall appoint a member of the |
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advisory committee to serve as presiding officer. |
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(e) A vacancy on the advisory committee shall be filled in |
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the same manner as the original appointment. |
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(f) A member of the advisory committee may not receive |
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compensation for service on the advisory committee, but is entitled |
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to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in |
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performing advisory committee duties. The advisory committee may |
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accept gifts, grants, and donations to pay for those expenses. |
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(g) The advisory committee shall meet at least quarterly at |
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the call of the presiding officer and at other times as determined |
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by the presiding officer. |
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(h) The advisory committee shall develop recommendations to |
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address: |
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(1) the health care and insurance needs for persons |
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who identify as transgender; |
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(2) adverse health impacts for patients who do not |
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meet traditional gender standards under the Healthcare Common |
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Procedure Coding System adopted by the Centers for Medicare & |
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Medicaid Services of the United States Department of Health and |
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Human Services or the American Medical Association's Current |
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Procedural Terminology codes and continuing education for health |
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care professionals addressing those impacts; and |
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(3) the health care needs for inmates who identify as |
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transgender in jails and prisons in this state. |
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(i) The Health and Human Services Commission shall provide |
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administrative support for the advisory committee using existing |
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resources. |
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(j) Not later than August 31, 2018, the advisory committee |
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shall submit a final report to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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executive commissioner with its findings and recommendations |
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described by Subsection (h) of this section. |
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(k) The advisory committee is abolished June 1, 2019. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2017, the executive |
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commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, the |
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commissioner of insurance, and the executive director of the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice shall appoint members to the |
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Transgender Healthcare Advisory Committee established under this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2017. |