| 1 | 1 | | 85R12657 MM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 1368 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on the provision of vision services benefits to |
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| 8 | 8 | | older individuals in this state. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "commission" means the |
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| 11 | 11 | | Health and Human Services Commission. |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) The commission, the Governor's Committee on People with |
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| 13 | 13 | | Disabilities, and the Aging Texas Well advisory committee shall |
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| 14 | 14 | | collaborate to conduct a study to evaluate the barriers and |
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| 15 | 15 | | limitations and develop recommendations related to expanding |
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| 16 | 16 | | vision services benefits to older individuals in this state. In |
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| 17 | 17 | | conducting the study, the entities shall: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) identify a comprehensive training curriculum that |
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| 19 | 19 | | can be used by governmental agencies and personnel who provide |
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| 20 | 20 | | direct intervention and independent living services to older |
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| 21 | 21 | | individuals who are experiencing vision loss; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) explore coordination opportunities between |
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| 23 | 23 | | governmental agencies and organizations in the private and public |
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| 24 | 24 | | sectors regarding providing vision services benefits to older |
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| 25 | 25 | | individuals; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) identify incentives and benefits for |
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| 27 | 27 | | organizations in the private sector that address the issue of |
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| 28 | 28 | | vision loss in the older individual population. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) Not later than September 1, 2018, the executive |
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| 30 | 30 | | commissioner of the commission shall submit a written report |
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| 31 | 31 | | containing the findings of the study conducted under Subsection (b) |
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| 32 | 32 | | of this section to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
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| 33 | 33 | | speaker of the house of representatives, and the members of the |
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| 34 | 34 | | legislature. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) This Act expires December 1, 2018. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 37 | 37 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 38 | 38 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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