85R8548 SCL-D
By: Lucio S.B. No. 1693
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of the Seniors with a Visual
Impairment Task Force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "task force" means the
Seniors with a Visual Impairment Task Force.
(b) The Department of State Health Services shall establish
the Seniors with a Visual Impairment Task Force to develop and make
recommendations for providing services to the growing number of
seniors in this state with a visual impairment.
(c) The commissioner of state health services shall appoint
an odd number of members to the task force. The commissioner may
only appoint a person who volunteers to serve on the task force.
The commissioner must appoint members who represent:
(1) an applicable state agency;
(2) a nonprofit organization;
(3) a health care provider association;
(4) an insurance association;
(5) a physician association;
(6) a transportation service provider;
(7) a consumer group; and
(8) the state demographer.
(d) A task force member is not entitled to compensation for
service on the task force but is entitled to reimbursement for
actual and necessary expenses incurred in performing task force
duties. The task force may accept gifts, grants, and donations to
pay for those expenses.
(e) The commissioner of state health services shall
designate a member of the task force to serve as presiding officer.
The members of the task force shall elect any other necessary
officers.
(f) The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call
of the presiding officer.
(g) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, or any
other law, the task force may meet by telephone conference call,
videoconference, or other similar telecommunication method. A
meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconference, or
other similar telecommunication method is subject to the
requirements of Sections 551.125(c), (d), (e), and (f), Government
Code.
(h) The task force shall conduct a study to determine the
projected growth and geographic distribution of seniors with a
visual impairment in the next 5 to 10 years and methods for
improving and expanding services to those seniors. The study must:
(1) identify the barriers to expanding health care
services to seniors with a visual impairment;
(2) include methods for expanding coordination
efforts with and involvement by public and private entities;
(3) recommend a training curriculum for state agency
personnel who provide direct intervention and independent living
services to seniors with a visual impairment; and
(4) determine potential public and private
collaborators that provide services to seniors with a visual
impairment, including:
(A) assessing the current level of
collaboration;
(B) identifying the barriers preventing a
greater level of collaboration than the current level of
collaboration;
(C) identifying the methods, additional
incentives, and additional benefits this state may offer to
increase collaboration, coordination, and partnerships;
(D) determining the role of public and private
entities that provide services to persons with a visual impairment
who are not blind; and
(E) establishing methods for incentivizing
private entities to provide services to seniors with a visual
impairment.
(i) The task force shall develop, in collaboration with
private entities and other organizations that assist individuals
with a visual impairment, methods to publicize the services
available to seniors with a visual impairment. The Department of
State Health Services may solicit and accept funding for and
contract with a private entity for implementing a task force
recommendation under this subsection.
(j) The task force shall develop recommendations to address
the problems of seniors with a visual impairment. The
recommendations must be in the form of a new initiative, an
immediate proposed regulatory change by a state agency, a proposed
statutory amendment, or a suggested funding level.
(k) The task force shall develop and submit a written report
on the study, publicity methods, and recommendations developed by
the task force to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
speaker of the house of representatives, and each member of the
legislature not later than November 1, 2018.
(l) The task force is abolished and this Act expires June 1,
2019.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2017.