| 3 | 2 | | |
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| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 6 | | relating to the establishment of a sanitarian recruitment and |
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| 8 | 7 | | retention program in border counties for public health purposes. |
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| 9 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 121, Health and Safety |
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| 11 | 10 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 121.0055 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 11 | | Sec. 121.0055. SANITARIAN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION |
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| 13 | 12 | | PROGRAM IN BORDER COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to a |
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| 14 | 13 | | local health unit, local health department, or public health |
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| 15 | 14 | | district that is: |
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| 16 | 15 | | (1) located in a county along the international border |
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| 17 | 16 | | with Mexico; and |
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| 18 | 17 | | (2) affiliated with the department under Section |
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| 19 | 18 | | 121.005. |
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| 20 | 19 | | (b) To the extent funds are available, the department shall |
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| 21 | 20 | | develop a program under which the department: |
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| 22 | 21 | | (1) provides grants to local health units, local |
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| 23 | 22 | | health departments, and public health districts to improve |
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| 24 | 23 | | recruitment and retention of sanitarians registered under Chapter |
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| 25 | 24 | | 1953, Occupations Code; and |
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| 26 | 25 | | (2) expands opportunities for training and |
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| 27 | 26 | | registration of sanitarians to improve disease response and prevent |
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| 28 | 27 | | foodborne, waterborne, vector-borne, and zoonotic diseases. |
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| 29 | 28 | | (c) The department shall administer the grant program |
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| 30 | 29 | | described by Subsection (b) in coordination with local health |
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| 31 | 30 | | units, local health departments, public health districts, and |
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| 32 | 31 | | appropriate state agencies, federal agencies, nonprofit |
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| 33 | 32 | | organizations, public and private hospitals, institutions of |
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| 34 | 33 | | higher education, and other private entities. |
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| 35 | 34 | | (d) The department may provide a grant under Subsection (b) |
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| 36 | 35 | | only in accordance with a contract between the department and the |
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| 37 | 36 | | recipient. The contract must include provisions under which the |
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| 38 | 37 | | department is granted sufficient control to ensure the public |
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| 39 | 38 | | purpose of improved public health is accomplished and the state |
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| 40 | 39 | | receives the return benefit. |
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| 41 | 40 | | (e) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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| 42 | 41 | | donations to operate the program established under this section. |
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| 43 | 42 | | The department shall coordinate with appropriate state agencies, |
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| 44 | 43 | | federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, public and private |
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| 45 | 44 | | hospitals, institutions of higher education, and other private |
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| 46 | 45 | | entities in identifying and soliciting funding to implement this |
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| 47 | 46 | | section. |
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| 48 | 47 | | SECTION 2. The Department of State Health Services is |
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| 49 | 48 | | required to implement a provision of this Act only if the |
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| 50 | 49 | | legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If |
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| 51 | 50 | | the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that |
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| 52 | 51 | | purpose, the department may, but is not required to, implement a |
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| 53 | 52 | | provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that |
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| 54 | 53 | | purpose. |
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| 55 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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