HBA-MPM C.S.S.B. 1857 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 1857
By: Shapleigh
Public Health
5/6/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, efforts to exchange health information between Texas and Mexico
are not delivering their full potential.  Increased efforts to remove
barriers to exchange information and expand institutionalized binational
health programs could help improve the health of residents of the
TexasMexico border region.  Improving disease detection and surveillance in
Mexico could help U.S. health officials by providing early warning of
disease outbreaks.  C.S.S.B. 1857 requires the Texas Department of Health
to study the federal and state laws inhibiting the exchange of
health-related information, equipment, and personnel between Texas and
Mexico. 

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.  Requires the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to study federal
and state laws inhibiting the exchange of information on disease and
epidemiological reporting between Texas and the United Mexican States, and
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 the information.  Authorizes TDH to appoint
an advisory committee under Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory
Committees), Government Code, to assist it to perform its duties under this
Act. Requires TDH to issue a report describing its recommendations to the
lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives, no
later than January 15, 2001.  Provides that this section expires September
1, 2001.  

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

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 1857 differs from the original bill by modifying proposed SECTION
1 (a) to require the Texas Department of Health to study federal and state
laws, rather than state laws, inhibiting the exchange of information,
equipment, and personnel set forth in this subsection.