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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a border public health response |
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team. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 161, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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by adding Subchapter X to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER X. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM |
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Sec. 161.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Border county" means a county adjacent to the |
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international border with Mexico. |
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(2) "Disaster" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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418.004, Government Code. The term includes a state of disaster |
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declared by: |
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(A) the president of the United States under the |
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Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 |
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U.S.C. Section 5121 et seq.); |
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(B) the governor under Section 418.014, |
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Government Code; or |
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(C) the presiding officer of the governing body |
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of a political subdivision under Section 418.108, Government Code. |
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(3) "Response team" means the border public health |
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response team established under Section 161.702. |
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(4) "Sanitarian" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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1953.001, Occupations Code. |
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Sec. 161.702. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM. The |
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department shall establish a border public health response team to |
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deploy in response to public health threats declared by the |
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commissioner and declared disasters in border counties. |
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Sec. 161.703. COMPOSITION OF RESPONSE TEAM. The response |
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team may be composed of the following members appointed by the |
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commissioner: |
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(1) an epidemiologist; |
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(2) a sanitarian; |
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(3) a nurse; |
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(4) a public health specialist; and |
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(5) any other person the commissioner considers |
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appropriate. |
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Sec. 161.704. DEPARTMENT DUTIES. (a) The department, in |
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consultation with the response team, shall, as necessary, enter |
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into memoranda of understanding with other state agencies to |
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develop policies, plans, and procedures to facilitate an effective |
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response to a declared public health threat or disaster. |
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(b) The department shall provide, or contract to provide, |
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training, equipment, and support staff to the response team to |
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enhance the team's response efforts, as appropriate. |
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Sec. 161.705. RESPONSE TEAM DUTIES. During a declared |
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public health threat or disaster in a border county, the response |
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team shall, as appropriate: |
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(1) assess health infrastructure and response |
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capabilities for the threat or disaster in a border county; |
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(2) develop appropriate responses for the threat or |
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disaster in a border county; and |
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(3) address language, cultural, and environmental |
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factors that are unique to responding to the threat or disaster in a |
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border county. |
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Sec. 161.706. FUNDING. (a) The department shall |
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coordinate with the commission, the office of the governor, the |
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federal government, and any other appropriate entity for funding to |
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support the response team's activities. |
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(b) The department may accept on behalf of the response team |
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a gift, grant, or donation from any source to carry out the purposes |
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of this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Department |
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of State Health Services shall establish the border public health |
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response team as required by Subchapter X, Chapter 161, Health and |
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Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |