BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 253

By: Farrar

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding women's access to screening, referral, treatment, and support services for postpartum depression. C.S.H.B. 253 seeks to address these concerns by providing for the development and implementation of a five-year strategic plan to improve access to such services.

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

C.S.H.B. 253 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to develop and implement a five-year strategic plan to improve access to screening, referral, treatment, and support services for postpartum depression. The bill requires the strategic plan to provide certain specified strategies in relation to postpartum depression. The bill requires HHSC to develop the initial strategic plan not later than September 1, 2020, and to develop not later than September 1 of the last fiscal year in each five-year period a new strategic plan for the next five fiscal years beginning with the following fiscal year. The bill requires HHSC to coordinate with the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the statewide health coordinating council, the office of mental health coordination, and the statewide behavioral health coordinating council in developing the strategic plan and requires HHSC, in consultation with those entities, to annually review and update, as necessary, the strategic plan.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 253 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the requirement for the executive commissioner of HHSC to develop, and DSHS to implement, the strategic plan to a requirement for HHSC to both develop and implement the plan.

The substitute includes DSHS as an entity with whom HHSC is required to coordinate in developing the strategic plan and as an entity with whom HHSC is required to consult in annually reviewing and updating the plan.