Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2032 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		86R21382 SRA-F
2	2		By: Turner of Dallas, Allison, Coleman, H.B. No. 2032
3	3		Price, Sheffield
	4	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2032:
	5	+	By: Coleman C.S.H.B. No. 2032
4	6
5	7
6	8		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	9		AN ACT
8	10		relating to the health literacy advisory committee and health
9	11		literacy in the state health plan.
10	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	13		SECTION 1. Section 104.002, Health and Safety Code, is
12	14		amended by adding Subdivision (6) to read as follows:
13	15		(6) "Health literacy" means the degree to which
14	16		individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand
15	17		basic health information and health services needed to make
16	18		appropriate health decisions.
17	19		SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
18	20		Code, is amended by adding Section 104.0157 to read as follows:
19	21		Sec. 104.0157. HEALTH LITERACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)
20	22		The statewide health coordinating council shall form an advisory
21	23		committee on health literacy. The advisory committee must include
22	24		representatives of interested groups, including the academic
23	25		community, consumer groups, health plans, pharmacies, and
24	26		associations of physicians, dentists, hospitals, and nurses.
25	27		(b) The advisory committee shall develop a long-range plan
26	28		for increasing health literacy in this state. The committee shall
27	29		update the plan at least once every two years.
28	30		(c) In developing the long-range plan, the advisory
29	31		committee shall study the economic impact of low health literacy on
30	32		state health care programs and insurance coverage for residents of
31	33		this state. The advisory committee shall:
32	34		(1) identify key risk factors for low health literacy;
33	35		(2) examine methods for health care practitioners,
34	36		health care facilities, and others to address health literacy with
35	37		patients and the public;
36	38		(3) examine the effectiveness of using quality
37	39		measures in state health programs to improve health literacy;
38	40		(4) identify ways to expand the use of plain language
39	41		instructions for patients; and
40	42		(5) identify the ways that increasing health literacy
41	43		can improve patient safety, reduce preventable events, and increase
42	44		medication adherence to attain greater cost-effectiveness and
43	45		better patient outcomes in health care.
44	46		(d) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
45	47		the advisory committee shall submit the long-range plan developed
46	48		or updated, as applicable, under this section to the governor, the
47	49		lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
48	50		and each member of the legislature.
49	51		(e) The advisory committee shall elect a presiding officer.
50	52		(f) Members of the advisory committee serve without
51	53		compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for the members'
52	54		travel expenses as provided by Chapter 660, Government Code, and
53	55		the General Appropriations Act.
54	56		(g) Sections 2110.002, 2110.003, and 2110.008, Government
55	57		Code, do not apply to the advisory committee.
56	58		(h) Meetings of the advisory committee under this section
57	59		are subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.
58	60		SECTION 3. Sections 104.022(e) and (f), Health and Safety
59	61		Code, are amended to read as follows:
60	62		(e) The state health plan shall be developed and used in
61	63		accordance with applicable state and federal law. The plan must
62	64		identify:
63	65		(1) major statewide health concerns, including the
64	66		prevalence of low health literacy of health care consumers;
65	67		(2) the availability and use of current health
66	68		resources of the state, including resources associated with
67	69		information technology and state-supported institutions of higher
68	70		education; and
69	71		(3) future health service, information technology,
70	72		and facility needs of the state.
71	73		(f) The state health plan must:
72	74		(1) propose strategies for the correction of major
73	75		deficiencies in the service delivery system;
74	76		(2) propose strategies for increasing health literacy
75	77		to attain greater cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in
76	78		health care;
77	79		(3) [(2)] propose strategies for incorporating
78	80		information technology in the service delivery system;
79	81		(4) [(3)] propose strategies for involving
80	82		state-supported institutions of higher education in providing
81	83		health services and for coordinating those efforts with health and
82	84		human services agencies in order to close gaps in services; and
83	85		(5) [(4)] provide direction for the state's
84	86		legislative and executive decision-making processes to implement
85	87		the strategies proposed by the plan.
86	88		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.