HBA-MPM C.S.S.B. 1763 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 1763 By: Moncrief Public Health 5/5/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Some major pharmaceutical companies operate programs to provide free or reduced cost medications to patients who cannot afford the medications and who meet qualifying criteria. However, these patient assistance programs are not widely publicized, and many patients and physicians do not know how to access them. C.S.S.B. 1763 requires pharmaceutical companies that do business in Texas and that provide such a program to inform the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) of the program's existence and requires HHSC to establish a toll-free telephone number to assist patients and physicians in locating and applying for pharmaceutical assistance. 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. ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 1763 amends the Government Code to require a pharmaceutical company that does business in Texas and that offers a patient assistance program to inform the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) of the program's existence, the eligibility requirements for the program, the drugs covered by the program, and information such as a telephone number used for applying for the program. The bill requires HHSC to establish a system that allows members of the public to call a toll-free telephone number to obtain information about available patient assistance programs and to ensure that the system is staffed at least during normal business hours with staff who are knowledgeable about the programs. HHSC is required to publicize the telephone number to pharmacies and prescribers of drugs. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.S.B. 1763 differs from the original bill by transferring from the Texas Department of Health to the Health and Human Services Commission the requirement to establish and administer a system under which members of the public can call a toll-free number to obtain information about available patient assistance programs. The substitute amends the Government Code, whereas the original amended the Health and Safety Code.