BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 476

By: Howard

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that, while public institutions of higher education developing the epinephrine auto-injector policies authorized by recent legislation could benefit from collaboration with similar institutions, information regarding such policies in the higher education context may be difficult to access. H.B. 476 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Department of State Health Services to maintain copies of such policies and any applicable amendments and by imposing certain publication requirements on institutions with such policies.  

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

H.B. 476 amends the Education Code to require each public institution of higher education that adopts a policy regarding the maintenance, storage, administration, and disposal of epinephrine auto-injectors on the institution's campus to include the policy in the institution's student handbook or similar publication and to publish the policy on the institution's website. The bill requires an institution that adopts such a policy to submit to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) a copy of the policy and any amendment to the policy adopted by the institution. The bill requires DSHS to maintain a record of the most recent policy and amendments submitted by each institution and to make that information available to the public on request.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.