BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1967

By: Thompson, Senfronia

Public Health

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns about the lack of accurate data collection and maintenance by the state concerning the prevalence of uterine fibroids in Texas women. It has been suggested that collecting more information about uterine fibroids will provide women the information and the health care necessary to prevent and treat this condition. C.S.H.B. 1967 seeks to increase awareness about uterine fibroids and ensure women receive the information and health care necessary to prevent and treat the condition by requiring the Department of State Health Services Center for Health Statistics to establish and maintain an electronic database of information related to uterine fibroids.

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

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1967 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Center for Health Statistics to establish and maintain an electronic database of information related to uterine fibroids using available health care data collected by DSHS to increase awareness about uterine fibroids and ensure women receive the information and health care necessary to prevent and treat the condition. The bill requires the database to include the demographic attributes of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids and treatments for uterine fibroids used by health care providers. The bill establishes that information regarding a woman who is diagnosed with or treated for uterine fibroids that is collected by DSHS and maintained in the database may not include any personally identifying information of the woman and is confidential and may be used only by DSHS or other person on behalf of DSHS for uterine fibroid research.

C.S.H.B. 1967 requires DSHS, in consultation with the Texas Medical Association, to identify and post on the DSHS website existing resources and educational materials on uterine fibroids to increase public awareness of uterine fibroids, including information on and awareness of the women of a race or ethnicity that has a statistically elevated risk of developing uterine fibroids and the range of available treatment options for uterine fibroids that include non-hysterectomy treatments and procedures.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1967 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

With respect to a requirement that also was included in the original for the DSHS Center for Health Statistics to establish and maintain the electronic database of information related to uterine fibroids, the substitute specifies that the center is to use available health care data collected by DSHS.

The substitute does not include a requirement in the original for incidence and prevalence of uterine fibroids in Texas to be among the information included in the database.

The substitute does not include a requirement in the original for a health care provider who diagnoses or treats a woman with uterine fibroids to submit information required by the center for inclusion in DSHS's Center for Health Statistics in the form and manner prescribed. The substitute does not include an authorization for that information to be combined with other information the health care provider submits under other law.

The substitute requires DSHS, in consultation with the Texas Medical Association, to identify and post on the DSHS website existing resources and educational materials on uterine fibroids to increase public awareness of uterine fibroids, whereas the original required DSHS, in consultation with the association, to develop and disseminate to health care providers information on uterine fibroids and conduct a campaign to increase public awareness of uterine fibroids.