HBA-NMO C.S.H.B. 3334 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3334
By: McClendon
Public Health
4/24/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current efforts to exchange healthcare information and technical assistance
between Texas and Mexico may not be delivering their full potential.
C.S.H.B. 3334 requires the Texas Department of Health to study state laws
inhibiting the exchange of information on disease and epidemiological
reporting between Texas and Mexico.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the interim committee on binational
exchange of health information in SECTION 1 of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  (a) Requires the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to study
state laws inhibiting the exchange of information on disease and
epidemiological reporting between Texas and the United Mexican States, and
the cross-border exchange of equipment and personnel to provide technical
assistance and to enhance the capacity of Texas and the United Mexican
States to obtain and exchange information.  Authorizes TDH to appoint an
advisory committee to assist it to perform its duties under this Act.
Requires TDH, not later than January 15, 2001, to issue a report describing
the its recommendations to the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the
house of representatives. Provides that this section expires on September
1, 2001. 

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: 90 days after passage.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The caption reflects the changes made by the substitute.

The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 1 by requiring the
Texas Department of Health to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of
information on disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and the
United Mexican States, and the cross-border exchange of equipment and
personnel to provide technical assistance and to enhance the capacity of
Texas and the United Mexican States to obtain and exchange information.
The original would have established the interim committee on binational
exchange of health information, composed of five members of the senate and
five members of the house of representatives,  to address the same issue. 

The substitute deletes SECTION 2 of the original to make a conforming
change. 

Redesignates SECTION 3 (emergency clause) of the original as SECTION 2.