BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1145
86R12985 EAS-F	By: Johnson; West
	Health & Human Services
	3/13/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

At least 30 million people (20 million females and 10 million males) in the United States suffer from an eating disorder. Nintey-five percent of those with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25, including almost one million Texas youth.

Eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than all other mental illnesses combined. One person dies from an eating disorder every 62 minutes, and those who suffer from an eating disorder illness are 12 times more likely to commit suicide.

Although eating disorders are life-threatening mental illnesses, they are treatable. Patients can and do recover with early, intensive intervention. But more than 70 percent of sufferers will not seek treatment due to stigma, misperceptions, and lack of education, diagnosis, and access to care.

Between 50 and 80 percent of risk factors for anorexia and bulimia are genetic and hereditary. Enhanced investigative and research efforts can improve eating disorder prevention and inform the development of strategies to address the needs of populations living with eating disorder illnesses.

More information is needed to develop additional resources and better treatment strategies for those living with eating disorder illnesses. S.B. 1145 creates an Eating Disorder Task Force to study the prevalence of eating disorders in Texas and those sufferers' access to care. The task force will gather information and identify trends to provide additional resources, helping reduce preventable deaths and complications, and implementing changes to improve health outcomes.

As proposed, S.B. 1145 amends current law relating to reports on the prevalence of eating disorders and eating disorder-related deaths in this state.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. (a) Requires the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), in collaboration with the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), to prepare a report on the prevalence of eating disorders and eating disorder-related deaths in this state. Requires the report to include statewide and regional statistics regarding the prevalence of eating disorders and eating disorder‑related deaths in this state, an overview of national trends in eating disorders, and an overview of state‑funded behavioral health treatment options available to persons with eating disorders.

(b) Requires DSHS to gather information for the report required by Subsection (a) of this section from information collected by DSHS and HHSC, including information from the vital statistics unit and the state Medicaid program, and hospitals, treatment centers, available surveys, and other relevant sources.

(c) Requires DSHS and HHSC to, not later than December 1, 2020, prepare and submit to the legislature a copy of the report and any recommendations for legislative or other action to reduce the prevalence of eating disorders in this state. Authorizes DSHS to post the report on DSHS's Internet website.�

(d) Provides that this section expires on September 1, 2021.

SECTION 2. (a) Requires DSHS to prepare a report on the prevalence of eating disorders among youth in this state. Authorizes DSHS, when administering the Youth Risk Behavior Survey created by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to youth in this state, to include additional questions as necessary to assist DSHS in assessing the prevalence of eating disorders among youth in this state for purposes of the report.

(b) Authorizes DSHS to accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source to fund expenses incurred by DSHS in preparing the report under this section.

(c) Requires DSHS, not later than December 1, 2022, to submit to the legislature a copy of the report and a summary of the survey findings relating to the prevalence of eating disorders among youth in this state. Authorizes DSHS to post the report and summary on DSHS's Internet website.

(d) Provides that this section expires September 1, 2023.

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

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