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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 Seniors with a Visual |
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Impairment Task Force. |
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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, "task force" means the |
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Seniors with a Visual Impairment Task Force. |
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(b) The Department of State Health Services shall establish |
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the Seniors with a Visual Impairment Task Force to develop and make |
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recommendations for providing services to the growing number of |
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seniors in this state with a visual impairment. |
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(c) The commissioner of state health services shall appoint |
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an odd number of members to the task force. The commissioner may |
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only appoint a person who volunteers to serve on the task force. |
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The commissioner must appoint members who represent: |
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(1) an applicable state agency; |
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(2) a nonprofit organization; |
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(3) a health care provider association; |
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(4) an insurance association; |
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(5) a physician association; |
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(6) a transportation service provider; |
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(7) a consumer group; and |
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(8) the state demographer. |
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(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for |
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service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for |
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actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force |
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duties. The task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to |
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pay for those expenses. |
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(e) The commissioner of state health services shall |
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designate a member of the task force to serve as presiding officer. |
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The members of the task force shall elect any other necessary |
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officers. |
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(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call |
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of the presiding officer. |
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(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any |
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other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call, |
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videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A |
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meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or |
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other similar telecommunication method is subject to the |
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requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government |
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Code. |
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(h) The task force shall conduct a study to determine the |
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projected growth and geographic distribution of seniors with a |
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visual impairment in the next 5 to 10 years and methods for |
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improving and expanding services to those seniors. The study must: |
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(1) identify the barriers to expanding health care |
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services to seniors with a visual impairment; |
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(2) include methods for expanding coordination |
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efforts with and involvement by public and private entities; |
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(3) recommend a training curriculum for state agency |
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personnel who provide direct intervention and independent living |
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services to seniors with a visual impairment; and |
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(4) determine potential public and private |
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collaborators that provide services to seniors with a visual |
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impairment, including: |
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(A) assessing the current level of |
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collaboration; |
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(B) identifying the barriers preventing a |
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greater level of collaboration than the current level of |
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collaboration; |
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(C) identifying the methods, additional |
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incentives, and additional benefits this state may offer to |
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increase collaboration, coordination, and partnerships; |
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(D) determining the role of public and private |
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entities that provide services to persons with a visual impairment |
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who are not blind; and |
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(E) establishing methods for incentivizing |
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private entities to provide services to seniors with a visual |
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impairment. |
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(i) The task force shall develop, in collaboration with |
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private entities and other organizations that assist individuals |
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with a visual impairment, methods to publicize the services |
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available to seniors with a visual impairment. The Department of |
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State Health Services may solicit and accept funding for and |
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contract with a private entity for implementing a task force |
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recommendation under this subsection. |
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(j) The task force shall develop recommendations to address |
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the problems of seniors with a visual impairment. The |
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recommendations must be in the form of a new initiative, an |
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immediate proposed regulatory change by a state agency, a proposed |
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statutory amendment, or a suggested funding level. |
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(k) The task force shall develop and submit a written report |
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on the study, publicity methods, and recommendations developed by |
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the task force to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
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speaker of the house of representatives, and each member of the |
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legislature not later than November 1, 2018. |
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(l) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1, |
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2019. |
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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, 2017. |