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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 |
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multidisciplinary response team within the office of border public |
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health. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 12.071, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 12.071. OFFICE OF BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH; BORDER PUBLIC |
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HEALTH MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TEAMS. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Office" means the office of border public health |
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established under Subsection (b). |
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(2) "Response team" means the border public health |
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multidisciplinary response team established under Subsection (c). |
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(b) The department shall establish and maintain an office in |
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the department to coordinate and promote health and environmental |
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issues between this state and Mexico. |
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(c) The department shall establish within the office a |
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border public health multidisciplinary response team to: |
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(1) assist local health departments in responding to |
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public health issues at the border related to infectious diseases; |
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and |
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(2) address language, cultural, and environmental |
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barriers associated with treating and preventing the spread of |
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infectious diseases at the border. |
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(d) The office shall appoint members to the response team. |
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Each member of the response team must be bilingual in English and |
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Spanish and the response team must include: |
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(1) an epidemiologist; |
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(2) a sanitarian, as defined by Section 1953.001, |
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Occupations Code; |
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(3) a nurse; |
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(4) an individual who conducts contact tracing to |
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identify individuals who may have been exposed to an infectious |
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disease for the purpose of containing the spread of the disease; and |
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(5) any other person the office considers appropriate. |
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(e) The office shall ensure the response team is provided |
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with adequate training, equipment, and support staff to enable the |
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team to fulfill the duties assigned under this section and |
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strengthen border health response efforts. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act: |
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(1) the Department of State Health Services shall |
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establish the border public health multidisciplinary response team |
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as required by Section 12.071, Health and Safety Code, as amended by |
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this Act; and |
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(2) the Office of Border Public Health shall appoint |
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the members of the border public health multidisciplinary response |
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team as required by Section 12.071, Health and Safety Code, as |
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amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |