| 1 | 1 | | 87R544 KKR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cortez H.B. No. 280 |
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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 an action plan to expand telemedicine medical services |
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| 8 | 8 | | and telehealth services and increase access to critical medical |
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| 9 | 9 | | care and health care services in this state. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 531, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 531.021611 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 531.021611. ACTION PLAN FOR TELEMEDICINE MEDICAL |
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| 14 | 14 | | SERVICES, TELEHEALTH SERVICES, CRITICAL MEDICAL CARE, AND HEALTH |
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| 15 | 15 | | CARE SERVICES. (a) The commission shall develop and implement an |
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| 16 | 16 | | action plan to: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) expand the use by health care providers of |
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| 18 | 18 | | telemedicine medical services, telehealth services, and related |
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| 19 | 19 | | mobile applications for those services and increase access to those |
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| 20 | 20 | | services and applications for the residents of this state; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) increase the availability of critical medical care |
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| 22 | 22 | | and health care services to residents in areas of this state |
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| 23 | 23 | | determined by the commission to be medically underserved, including |
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| 24 | 24 | | rural areas and areas adjacent to an international border. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) In developing and implementing the action plan, the |
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| 26 | 26 | | commission shall: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) seek the assistance of the Texas Hospital |
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| 28 | 28 | | Association, the Texas Medical Association, teaching hospitals, |
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| 29 | 29 | | and the statewide health coordinating council; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) consult with health care providers, advocacy |
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| 31 | 31 | | groups, relevant federal agencies, and any other interested persons |
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| 32 | 32 | | the commission considers necessary to develop the action plan |
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| 33 | 33 | | required by this section. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) The action plan must include: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) short-term and long-term plan recommendations, |
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| 36 | 36 | | including policy initiatives and reforms necessary to implement the |
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| 37 | 37 | | plan; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) statutory and administrative reforms necessary to |
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| 39 | 39 | | implement the plan; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) options for the funding necessary to implement the |
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| 41 | 41 | | plan. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (d) The commission shall: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) not later than September 1, 2023: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (A) submit to the governor and the legislature |
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| 45 | 45 | | the short-term and long-term plan recommendations, the statutory |
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| 46 | 46 | | and administrative reforms, and the funding options described in |
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| 47 | 47 | | Subsection (c) and the steps for implementing those |
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| 48 | 48 | | recommendations, reforms, and options; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (B) begin implementing the short-term plan; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) not later than September 1, 2025, fully implement |
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| 51 | 51 | | the short-term plan; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) not later than September 1, 2031, fully implement |
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| 53 | 53 | | the long-term plan; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (4) include the short-term and long-term plans in the |
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| 55 | 55 | | update of the strategic plan for health and human services under |
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| 56 | 56 | | Section 531.022. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (e) This section expires September 1, 2032. |
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| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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