By: Coleman H.B. No. 4139
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the Office for Health Equity.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 107A, Health and Safety Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         Sec. 107A.001.  THE OFFICE [CENTER] FOR HEALTH EQUITY
  [ELIMINATION OF DISPROPORTIONALITY AND DISPARITIES]. The
  executive commissioner shall maintain an office [center] for health
  equity [elimination of disproportionality and disparities] in the
  commission to:
               (1)  assume a leadership role in working or contracting
  with state and federal agencies, universities, private interest
  groups, communities, foundations, and offices of minority health to
  develop and implement health initiatives to create health equity by
  decreasing[e] or eliminating[e] health and health access
  disparities among racial, multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic,
  gender, age, language, and regional populations, including
  appropriate language services; and
               (2)  seek out state and federal agencies, universities,
  private interest groups, communities, foundations, and offices of
  minority, gender, age health in order to coordinate and maximize
  use of existing resources without duplicating existing efforts.
         Sec. 107A.002.  POWERS OF THE OFFICE [CENTER]. The office
  [center] may:
               (1)  provide a central information and referral source,
  including a clearinghouse for health disparities information, and
  serve as the primary state resource in coordinating, planning,
  [and] advocating, and implementing access to health care services
  to eliminate health disparities in this state;
               (2)  coordinate conferences and other training
  opportunities to increase skills among state agencies and
  government staff in management and in the appreciation of cultural
  diversity;
               (3)  pursue and administer grant funds for innovative
  projects for communities, universities, groups, and individuals;
               (4)  provide recommendations and training in improving
  minority recruitment in state agencies;
               (5)  publicize, distribute, and implement information
  and evidence based strategies to promote health equity and
  eliminate [regarding] health disparities and minority health
  issues through the use of the media;
               (6)  network with existing minority organizations,
  community-based health groups, faith-based organizations, and
  statewide health coalitions;
               (7)  solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and
  donations from public and private sources; [and]
               (8)  contract with public and private entities in the
  performance of its responsibilities;
               (9)  investigate and report on issues related to health
  and health access disparities among multicultural, ethnic
  disadvantaged, gender, age, language, and regional populations;
               (10)  coordinate and work with local health authorities
  to collect and report data related to health and health access
  disparities among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, gender,
  age, language, and regional populations;
               (11)  make the de-identified data collected in
  subsection (10) readily available to the public;
               (12)  monitor existing and emerging trends in
  behavioral health, morbidity and mortality among multicultural,
  disadvantaged, ethnic, gender, age, language, and regional
  populations;
               (13)  develop and implement short term and long term
  strategies to promote health equity and eliminate health and health
  access disparities among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic,
  gender, age, language, and regional populations;
               (14)  monitor the progress of the commission and the
  providers it contracts with in promoting health equity and
  eliminating the health and health access disparities;
               (15)  advise and assist the commission on the
  implementation of any targeted programs or funding authorized by
  the legislature to address health and health access disparities.
               (16)  examine the role that disparities in education,
  criminal justice, housing, economic opportunity, environment, and
  other social determinants contribute to disparities in health
  access and outcomes
               (17)  examine how health disparities impact access to
  educational, housing, and economic opportunity; and
               (18)  advise the commission on provider contracting to
  ensure that the commission contracts with providers that promote
  health equity and eliminate health and health access disparities
  among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, gender, age, language,
  and regional populations.
         Sec. 107A.003.  FUNDING. The commission may distribute to
  the office [center]:
         (a)  unobligated and unexpended appropriations to be used to
  carry out its powers;[.]
         (b)  appropriations of money to the fund by the legislature;
  or
         (c)  gifts, grants, including grants from the federal
  government, and other donations received for the fund.
         Sec. 107A.004.  PROVIDER CONTRACTS.
         (a)  The commission shall work with the office during all
  contract procurement to ensure that providers promote health equity
  and eliminate health and health access disparities among
  multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, gender, age, language, and
  regional populations.
         (b)  the office shall assist providers contracted with the
  commission implement programs and strategies that promote health
  equity and eliminate health and health access disparities among
  multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, gender, age, language, and
  regional populations.
         Sec. 107A.005.  CROSS AGENCY ASSISTANCE. The office may
  work with other Texas agencies to advise and assist in
  implementation of programs and strategies aimed at eliminating
  social determinants that that cause health and health access
  disparities among multicultural, disadvantaged, ethnic, gender,
  age, language, and regional populations.
         Sec. 107A.006.  COVID-19 DISPARITIES. (a) In this section,
  "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus.
         (b)  The center shall conduct a study to assess the
  disproportionate effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on racial,
  multicultural, ethnic, disadvantaged, gender, age, and regional
  populations in this state. In conducting the study, the center
  shall:
               (1)  determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic
  disproportionately affected certain racial, multicultural, ethnic,
  disadvantaged, gender, age, language, and regional populations in
  this state;
               (2)  if the center determines a particular population
  was disproportionately affected by the pandemic, identify the
  underlying causes of that disproportionate effect; and
               (3)  recommend policies and procedures for promoting
  health equity during a future natural disaster, pandemic, or other
  public health emergency.
         (c)  Not later than December 1, 2022, the center shall submit
  to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
  representatives, and members of the legislature a written report on
  the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative or
  other action.
         (d)  This section expires August 31, 2023.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.