Senate Committee on Health and Human Services - 88th R.S. (2023)

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Committee Members

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Charges

• Children’s Mental Health: Review care and services currently available to the growing population of Texas children with high acuity mental and behavioral health needs. Make recommendations to improve access to care and services for these children that will support family preservation and prevent them from entering the child welfare system.

• Access to Health Care: Evaluate current access to primary and mental health care. Examine whether regulatory and licensing flexibilities could improve access to care, particularly in medically underserved areas of Texas. Make recommendations, if any, to improve access to care while maintaining patient safety.

• Health Insurance: Examine the Texas health insurance market and alternatives to employer-based insurance. Identify barriers Texans face when navigating a complex health insurance market. Make recommendations that help individuals obtain health care coverage.

• Cancer Prevention: Identify and recommend ways to address the growing impact of cancer on Texans by evaluating state investments in cancer prevention and screenings including, but not limited to, "CT," "MRI," and "PET" scans. Study and make recommendations on funding adequacy for prevention efforts at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

• Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services passed by the 88th Legislature, as well as relevant agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction. Specifically, make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation of the following:
  
  
  • SB 7 88th 3rd C.S., relating to prohibiting a private employer from adopting or enforcing certain COVID-19 vaccine mandates; authorizing an administrative penalty;
  
  
  • SB 24 88th R.S., relating to the powers and duties of the Health and Human Services Commission and the transfer to the commission of certain powers and duties from the Department of Family and Protective Services;
  
  
  • SB 25 88th R.S., relating to support for nursing-related postsecondary education, including scholarships to nursing students, loan repayment assistance to nurses and nursing faculty, and grants to nursing education programs;
  
  
  • SB 26 88th R.S., relating to local mental health authority and local behavioral health authority audits and mental and behavioral health reporting, services, and programs;
  
  
  • SB 1849 88th R.S., relating to an interagency reportable conduct search engine, standards for a person's removal from the employee misconduct registry and eligibility for certification as certain Texas Juvenile Justice Department officers and employees, and the use of certain information by certain state agencies to conduct background checks;
    
  • Initiatives to reduce Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as other cost containment strategies; and
    
  • Medicaid managed care oversight and accountability.

• Protecting Vulnerable Texans in Emergencies: Examine commercial residential settings for the elderly and individuals with intellectual disabilities, including assisted living facilities, boarding homes, group homes, and independent living communities. Identify emergency preparedness and response protocols required during severe weather for these populations. Make recommendations, if necessary, for the establishment and enforcement of emergency protocols to ensure vulnerable populations are protected.

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