BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1418
86R7978 EAS-F	By: Phelan (Huffman)
	Health & Human Services
	4/16/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

First responders being unaware of their vaccine history has caused confusion in times of disaster. Recovery and rescue efforts during these manmade or natural disasters leave first responders vulnerable to wounds and infection, making their need for clarity on their vaccination status essential to their own safety and response efforts.

During Hurricane Harvey, for example, lack of clarity for first responders caused certain individuals to either duplicate previous vaccination, or be required to wait for vaccinations due to high demand for the vaccines in the disaster-declared region.

H.B. 1418 seeks to avoid this in the future by creating a framework for those who apply for emergency certification to understand their vaccine history. H.B. 1418 would require those applicants to be made aware of their vaccination status through the information made available on ImmTrac2, the Health and Human Services Commission's opt-in vaccine database. If the individual is not included in the database, that applicant will receive information about certain vaccine preventable diseases and that applicant's risk of exposure in the line of duty.

H.B. 1418 amends current law relating to disease prevention and preparedness information for emergency medical services personnel on certification or recertification.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 733.0551, Health and Safety Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 773.0551, as follows:

Sec. 773.0551. DISEASE PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION ON CERTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. (a) Defines "applicant" and "immunization registry."

(b) Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (executive commissioner; HHSC) by rule to adopt a system under which HHSC provides an applicant immunization information. Requires the system to require HHSC to provide:

(1) if the applicant�s immunization history is included in the immunization registry, written notice of the applicant�s immunization history, using information from the immunization registry; or

(2) if the applicant�s immunization history is not included in the immunization registry, the following information:

(A) details about the program developed under Section 161.00707 (Information and Education For First Responders); and

(B) the specific risks to emergency medical services personnel when responding rapidly to an emergency of exposure to and infection by a potentially serious or deadly communicable disease that an immunization may prevent.

SECTION 2. Requires the executive commissioner, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to adopt rules necessary to implement Section 773.0551, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2019.