82R10125 TRH-D
By: Coleman H.B. No. 3493
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the employee wellness program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 161, Health and Safety Code, is amended
by adding Subchapter V to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER V. EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM
Sec. 161.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "department"
means the Department of State Health Services.
Sec. 161.602. CREATION OF MODEL PROGRAM. (a) The
department shall develop for use by private employers a model
statewide wellness program to improve the health and wellness of
employees. The wellness program may include:
(1) education that targets the most costly or
prevalent health care claims, including information addressing
stress management, nutrition, healthy eating habits, alcohol and
drug abuse, physical activity, disease prevention, and smoking
cessation;
(2) the dissemination or use of available health risk
assessment tools and programs, including surveys that identify an
employee's risk level for health-related problems and programs that
suggest to employees methods for minimizing risks;
(3) the development of strategies for the promotion of
health, nutritional, and fitness-related resources in the
workplace;
(4) the development and promotion of environmental
change strategies that integrate healthy behaviors and physical
activity, including recommending healthy food choices in snack
bars, vending machines, and employer-run cafeterias; and
(5) optional incentives to encourage participation in
the wellness program, including providing flexibility in employee
scheduling to allow for physical activity and participation in the
wellness program and coordinating discounts with gyms and fitness
centers across the state.
(b) The department shall:
(1) coordinate with other agencies that administer a
health benefits program under Chapter 1551, Insurance Code, or
Chapter 664, Government Code, as necessary to develop the model
wellness program and prevent duplication of efforts;
(2) maintain a set of Internet links to health
resources for use by private employers and employees;
(3) design an outreach campaign to educate private
employers and employees about health and fitness-related
resources, including available exercise facilities, online tools,
and health and fitness-related organizations; and
(4) study the implementation and participation rates
of wellness programs implemented by private employers and report
the findings to the legislature biennially.
(c) The department may assist a private employer in
establishing employee wellness demonstration projects that
incorporate best practices for encouraging employee participation
and the achievement of wellness benefits. An employee wellness
demonstration project may implement strategies to optimize the
return of employer investment in employee wellness, including
savings in direct health care costs and savings from preventing
conditions and diagnoses through better employee wellness.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.