By: Schwertner, et al. S.B. No. 984
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to public health disaster and public health emergency
  preparedness and response, including the operation of the Task
  Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 81, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Sections 81.027 and 81.028 to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 81.027.  TRAUMA SERVICE AREA REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
  DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING. (a) Each trauma service area
  regional advisory council shall collect from each hospital located
  in the regional advisory council's trauma service area the
  de-identified health care data, including demographic data,
  necessary for this state and the area to effectively plan for and
  respond to public health disasters and communicable or infectious
  disease emergencies in this state. The executive commissioner by
  rule shall prescribe the data each council must collect under this
  subsection.
         (b)  A trauma service area regional advisory council shall:
               (1)  provide the data collected under Subsection (a) to
  the department; and
               (2)  make the data publicly available by:
                     (A)  posting the data on the regional advisory
  council's Internet website; or
                     (B)  if the regional advisory council does not
  maintain an Internet website, providing the data in writing on
  request.
         (c)  Information collected or maintained under this section
  that identifies a patient is confidential and exempt from
  disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.
         Sec. 81.028.  PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT RESERVES. (a)
  In this section, "personal protective equipment" means specialized
  clothing or equipment worn for protection against communicable and
  other infectious diseases.
         (b)  The department shall, if money is appropriated to the
  department for the purposes of this section, establish a reserve,
  or regional reserves, of personal protective equipment to support a
  response to public health disasters and communicable or infectious
  disease emergencies in this state.
         SECTION 2.  Section 81.404(a), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The governor may appoint members of the task force as
  necessary, including members from relevant state agencies, members
  with expertise in infectious diseases and other issues involved in
  the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases, and members
  from institutions of higher education in this state. The governor
  shall appoint to the task force:
               (1)  at least one member who is a county judge of a
  county with a population of less than 100,000;
               (2)  at least one member who is a county judge of a
  county with a population of 100,000 or more;
               (3)  at least one member who is a representative of a
  local health authority serving a rural area;
               (4)  at least one member who is a representative of a
  local health authority serving an urban area;
               (5)  at least one member who is a licensed nurse; [and]
               (6)  at least one member who is emergency medical
  services personnel, as defined by Section 773.003; and
               (7)  at least one member who is an epidemiologist.
         SECTION 3.  Section 81.406(a), Health and Safety Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The task force shall meet:
               (1)  at least once each year at a location determined by
  the task force director; and
               (2)  at other times and locations as determined by the
  task force director [of the task force].
         SECTION 4.  Not later than January 1, 2022, the governor
  shall appoint the member of the Task Force on Infectious Disease
  Preparedness and Response as required by Section 81.404(a)(7),
  Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  The Department of State Health Services is
  required to implement Section 81.028, Health and Safety Code, as
  added by this Act, only if the legislature appropriates money
  specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not
  appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the department
  may, but is not required to, implement Section 81.028 using other
  appropriations available for that purpose.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.