HBA-JRA H.B. 1653 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1653
By: Maxey
Public Health
3/12/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Telemedicine is the practice of a professional health care provider
providing interactive long distance services to a consumer in another
location.  This evolving technology is being used in the fields of
medicine, dentistry, counseling, radiologic technologies, pharmacology, and
occupational, physical, respiratory, and speech therapies.  Telemedicine
may hold promise for providing greater access to medical care, ensuring
quality of care, and containing costs of medical care through early
diagnosis and intervention in rural and underserved areas.  H.B. 1653
requires the governor to appoint a task force to develop a telemedicine
plan to increase access to medical care. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  (a)  Requires the governor to appoint a task force to develop a
statewide telemedicine plan to increase access to medical care.  Sets forth
the composition of the task force. 

(b)  Provides that the telemedicine plan must provide guidelines for the
Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board for the award of grants for
telemedicine projects; recommend a telecommunications infrastructure to
build and support telemedicine; define the role medical schools, teaching
hospitals, and public health clinics have in the telemedicine plan;
establish priorities for the funding of telemedicine sites to serve rural
and medically underserved areas; provide for the education  of health
professionals in community sites; make policy recommendations to ensure the
quality of care and the stability of local health care systems; designate a
group to coordinate statewide telemedicine initiatives; and make
recommendations on interstate licensing issues related to the practice of
medicine using telecommunications technology. 

(c)  Requires the task force to report its recommendations to the statewide
health coordinating council, the governor, and the legislature not later
than January 31, 2000. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.