BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1418

By: Phelan

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns about emergency medical services personnel not knowing their immunization information during emergency situations, like natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey. H.B. 1418 seeks to ensure that emergency services personnel receive up-to-date information about their immunization status during certification or recertification and also information about certain risks posed when responding rapidly to an emergency.  

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1418 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) by rule to adopt a system under which HHSC provides immunization information to an applicant for certification or recertification as emergency medical services personnel. The bill requires the system to require HHSC to provide the following information:

· if the applicant's immunization history is included in the immunization registry maintained by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), written notice of the applicant's immunization history using information from the registry; or

· if the applicant's immunization history is not included in the registry, details about the program developed by DSHS for informing first responders about the registry and educating first responders about the benefits of being included in the registry and 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. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

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