Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1328 Compare Versions

The same version is selected twice. Please select two different versions to compare.

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	S.B. No. 1328
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to a study on the feasibility of providing vaccines to
6	6	first responders deployed to a disaster area.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. (a) In this Act:
9	9	(1) "Department" means the Department of State Health
10	10	Services.
11	11	(2) "Disaster" means:
12	12	(A) a public health disaster as defined by
13	13	Section 81.003, Health and Safety Code;
14	14	(B) a natural or man-made disaster;
15	15	(C) a terrorist attack;
16	16	(D) a hostile military or paramilitary action;
17	17	(E) an extraordinary law enforcement emergency;
18	18	or
19	19	(F) any other state of disaster declared under
20	20	Chapter 418, Government Code.
21	21	(3) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by
22	22	Section 421.095, Government Code.
23	23	(b) The department shall conduct a study to determine the
24	24	feasibility of providing vaccines to:
25	25	(1) a first responder who may be exposed to
26	26	vaccine-preventable diseases during the responder's deployment to
27	27	a disaster area; and
28	28	(2) the immediate family members of a first responder
29	29	to whom the first responder may transmit a vaccine-preventable
30	30	disease after deployment to a disaster area.
31	31	(c) The study must consider the feasibility of providing the
32	32	following vaccines:
33	33	(1) the hepatitis B vaccine for first responders who
34	34	may be in direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids;
35	35	(2) a tetanus-containing vaccine; and
36	36	(3) other vaccines or biologicals recommended by the
37	37	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for disasters.
38	38	(d) The department shall:
39	39	(1) assess the vaccination status of first responders
40	40	and their immediate family members in this state;
41	41	(2) assess workplace immunization policies and
42	42	insurance coverage for first responders;
43	43	(3) make recommendations on educating first
44	44	responders and their immediate family members about available
45	45	options to obtain immunization services, regardless of insurance
46	46	coverage;
47	47	(4) assess the current ability of the department, in
48	48	conjunction with local health departments, to provide vaccines to
49	49	first responders and their immediate family members who are
50	50	uninsured or underinsured;
51	51	(5) identify and recommend funding sources for the
52	52	procurement of recommended vaccines for first responders and their
53	53	immediate family members who are uninsured or underinsured; and
54	54	(6) evaluate the potential use and cost of providing
55	55	other biologicals, such as immune globulin, to be used in
56	56	conjunction with vaccines to prevent the spread of
57	57	vaccine-preventable diseases.
58	58	(e) The statewide wellness coordinator designated under
59	59	Subsection (a), Section 664.053, Government Code, shall assist the
60	60	department in obtaining data from state agencies that employ first
61	61	responders by:
62	62	(1) consulting with the wellness liaison identified
63	63	under Subsection (d), Section 664.053, Government Code, for a state
64	64	agency that employs first responders to gain study-related
65	65	information from the state agency;
66	66	(2) assessing the readiness of each state agency to
67	67	administer vaccines to the agency's first responders before
68	68	deployment to a disaster area; and
69	69	(3) providing to the department appropriate
70	70	information from state agencies regarding the current immunization
71	71	policies of those agencies.
72	72	(f) A state agency that provides data to the department for
73	73	purposes of the study shall ensure that the data does not identify a
74	74	first responder or family member of a first responder to whom the
75	75	data pertains.
76	76	(g) Not later than August 1, 2011, the department shall
77	77	submit to the legislature a written report containing the findings
78	78	of the study and the department's recommendations.
79	79	(h) This section expires September 1, 2011.
80	80	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
81	81	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
82	82	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
83	83	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
84	84	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
85	85	______________________________ ______________________________
86	86	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
87	87	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1328 passed the Senate on
88	88	April 16, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
89	89	______________________________
90	90	Secretary of the Senate
91	91	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1328 passed the House on
92	92	May 26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, one
93	93	present not voting.
94	94	______________________________
95	95	Chief Clerk of the House
96	96	Approved:
97	97	______________________________
98	98	Date
99	99	______________________________
100	100	Governor