| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the establishment of a border public health initiative |
|
|
by the Department of State Health Services. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Chapter 65 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 65. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE |
|
|
Sec. 65.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Border county" means a county adjacent to this |
|
|
state's international border with Mexico. |
|
|
(2) "Promotora" or "community health worker" has the |
|
|
meaning assigned by Section 48.001. |
|
|
Sec. 65.0002. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE. (a) To the |
|
|
extent funding is available, the department shall develop an |
|
|
initiative to reduce the adverse health impacts of diabetes, |
|
|
hypertension, and obesity for adults and children in border |
|
|
counties. The initiative must promote: |
|
|
(1) educational resources designed to prevent those |
|
|
conditions; |
|
|
(2) screenings of persons at risk for those |
|
|
conditions; and |
|
|
(3) referrals to and treatment by health care |
|
|
providers for those conditions. |
|
|
(b) In developing the border public health initiative, the |
|
|
department may consult and collaborate with: |
|
|
(1) other health and human services agencies; |
|
|
(2) other appropriate state or federal agencies; |
|
|
(3) health science centers and medical schools; and |
|
|
(4) public and private health care providers and |
|
|
hospitals. |
|
|
Sec. 65.0003. OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS. The department shall, |
|
|
subject to available funding, conduct bilingual, culturally |
|
|
appropriate outreach campaigns in consultation and collaboration |
|
|
with appropriate individuals and entities that may include: |
|
|
(1) promotoras and community health workers; |
|
|
(2) academic centers located in border counties; |
|
|
(3) nonprofit organizations; |
|
|
(4) public schools; |
|
|
(5) public and private health care providers and |
|
|
hospitals; |
|
|
(6) worksite wellness programs; |
|
|
(7) local business and health care providers that |
|
|
provide early detection of prediabetes, prehypertension, and |
|
|
obesity; and |
|
|
(8) other local entities, as the department determines |
|
|
appropriate. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |