BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1225

By: Guillen

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised about the growing rate of occurrence of chronic kidney disease. It has been suggested that more attention needs to be focused on this disease to facilitate early identification and appropriate intervention, which can help to delay progression of the disease and reduce suffering, deaths, and health care costs. H.B. 1225 seeks to focus attention on this disease by re-creating the chronic kidney disease task force.

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. 1225 amends the Health and Safety Code to re-create the chronic kidney disease task force and provide for the composition, reimbursement, administration, and funding of the task force. The bill requires the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives to appoint the members to the chronic kidney disease task force not later than January 1, 2020. The bill requires the task force to coordinate implementation of the state's cost‑effective plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis, and management of chronic kidney disease for the state's population through national, state, and local partners and to educate health care professionals on the use of specified clinical practice guidelines based on the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative Clinical Practice Guidelines for Chronic Kidney Disease. The bill requires the task force, not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, to submit its findings and recommendations to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives and the presiding officers of the appropriate standing committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over health issues.

H.B. 1225 requires the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to review the continued need for the task force at least once every five years and, if HHSC determines the task force is no longer needed and should be abolished, to publish notice of its decision in the Texas Register and on the HHSC website. The task force is abolished on the date stated in the notice. The bill exempts the task force from Government Code provisions related to state agency advisory committees, except as specifically provided by the bill's provisions. The bill sets out certain legislative findings.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.