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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to public health laboratory capabilities in certain |
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counties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Health and Safety Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter K to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER K. PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY CAPABILITIES IN CERTAIN |
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COUNTIES |
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Sec. 12.151. PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY REPORT. (a) Not |
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later than September 1, 2020, the department shall prepare and |
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submit a written or electronic report to the legislature on public |
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laboratories in this state's counties that are adjacent to an |
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international border. The report must include: |
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(1) information on the existing testing capabilities |
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of the public laboratories, focusing on clinical, environmental, |
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and zoonotic testing capabilities; and |
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(2) recommendations to increase the efficiency, |
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effectiveness, and productivity of the public laboratories through |
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administrative action and legislation. |
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(b) The department shall collaborate with local health |
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departments established under Subchapter D, Chapter 121, and public |
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and private testing laboratories to collect information and develop |
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recommendations for the report described by Subsection (a). |
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(c) This section expires September 1, 2021. |
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Sec. 12.152. LOCAL AGREEMENTS. Using available resources |
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and as determined appropriate by the department, the department |
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shall enter into agreements with institutions of higher education |
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as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, and public and |
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private testing laboratories in this state to increase the |
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availability of public health laboratory services for local health |
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departments established under Subchapter D, Chapter 121, in |
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counties adjacent to an international border. The agreements must |
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establish protocols that: |
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(1) ensure confidentiality of the laboratory testing; |
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(2) require the testing procedures to satisfy state |
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standards for laboratory testing; |
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(3) provide cost-effective resources to the local |
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health departments to increase the availability of laboratory |
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testing in the border counties; |
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(4) enhance the laboratory testing capacity, |
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including testing of human and nonhuman specimens, in the border |
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counties; and |
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(5) ensure the efficiency, effectiveness, and |
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accuracy of laboratory test results. |
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Sec. 12.153. YEAR-ROUND ACCESS TO LABORATORY TESTING FOR |
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VECTOR-BORNE INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Using available resources and as |
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determined appropriate by the department, the department shall |
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support access to year-round laboratory testing for vector-borne |
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infectious diseases to record and address local outbreaks of |
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vector-borne infectious diseases in the counties of this state that |
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are most at risk for the year-round outbreaks, including Maverick, |
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Val Verde, Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron |
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Counties. The department may make the access directly available or |
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through a local agreement entered into under Section 12.152. The |
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testing may include, as appropriate: |
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(1) arboviral testing; |
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(2) speciation testing; |
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(3) PCR testing; |
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(4) IgM testing; |
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(5) IgG testing; and |
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(6) any other testing the department determines |
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appropriate. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |