| 1 | 1 | | 87R3839 MCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rodriguez H.B. No. 2902 |
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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 the creation of a task force to study factors |
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| 8 | 8 | | contributing to disproportionate COVID-19 outcomes. |
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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. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (1) "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus |
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| 12 | 12 | | disease. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive |
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| 14 | 14 | | commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (3) "Task force" means the task force established |
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| 16 | 16 | | under Section 2 of this Act. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. The executive |
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| 18 | 18 | | commissioner shall establish a task force to: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) identify and evaluate factors that contribute to |
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| 20 | 20 | | the disproportionate development of severe illness, |
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| 21 | 21 | | hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19 infection among racial |
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| 22 | 22 | | and ethnic minorities; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) assess this state's data collection practices |
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| 24 | 24 | | related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination and the rates of |
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| 25 | 25 | | hospitalization and death for people infected with COVID-19; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) identify and determine the manner in which the |
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| 27 | 27 | | factors identified in Subdivision (1) of this section affect |
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| 28 | 28 | | population health; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (4) make recommendations for state pandemic response |
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| 30 | 30 | | strategies and public health policy, including recommendations for |
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| 31 | 31 | | improvements for this state's data collection, virus testing, and |
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| 32 | 32 | | immunization strategies. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE. (a) The task force |
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| 34 | 34 | | is composed of 21 members as follows: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (1) one member with relevant expertise, appointed by |
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| 36 | 36 | | the governor; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (2) two members with relevant expertise, appointed by |
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| 38 | 38 | | the lieutenant governor; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) two members with relevant expertise, appointed by |
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| 40 | 40 | | the speaker of the house of representatives; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (4) the chair of the Texas Hospital Association or the |
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| 42 | 42 | | chair's designee; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (5) the president of the Texas Medical Association or |
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| 44 | 44 | | the president's designee; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (6) the president of the Texas Nurses Association or |
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| 46 | 46 | | the president's designee; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (7) 13 members appointed by the executive |
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| 48 | 48 | | commissioner, including: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (A) one member who is a licensed physician |
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| 50 | 50 | | specializing in cardiology; |
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| 51 | 51 | | (B) one member who is a licensed physician |
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| 52 | 52 | | specializing in pulmonology; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (C) one member who represents a hospital located |
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| 54 | 54 | | in a rural area of this state; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (D) one member who represents a hospital located |
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| 56 | 56 | | in a county with a population of at least four million; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (E) one member who represents a hospital located |
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| 58 | 58 | | in an urban county with a population of less than four million; |
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| 59 | 59 | | (F) one member who represents a public hospital; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (G) one member who represents a private hospital; |
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| 61 | 61 | | (H) two members who represent unaffiliated |
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| 62 | 62 | | nonprofit community health organizations focused on reducing |
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| 63 | 63 | | racial and ethnic health disparities; |
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| 64 | 64 | | (I) one member who represents a community health |
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| 65 | 65 | | center; |
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| 66 | 66 | | (J) one member who is an epidemiologist; |
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| 67 | 67 | | (K) one member who is a statistician; and |
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| 68 | 68 | | (L) one member who is a public health expert. |
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| 69 | 69 | | (b) The executive commissioner shall appoint a presiding |
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| 70 | 70 | | officer of the task force from among the members of the task force. |
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| 71 | 71 | | (c) The executive commissioner may fill any vacancy that |
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| 72 | 72 | | occurs on the task force and may appoint additional members as |
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| 73 | 73 | | needed. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 4. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS. Not later than November |
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| 75 | 75 | | 1, 2021, the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of |
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| 76 | 76 | | representatives, and executive commissioner shall appoint members |
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| 77 | 77 | | to the task force. |
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| 78 | 78 | | SECTION 5. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2022, the |
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| 79 | 79 | | task force shall prepare and submit to the governor, the lieutenant |
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| 80 | 80 | | governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the |
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| 81 | 81 | | members of the legislature a written report on its findings and |
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| 82 | 82 | | recommendations, including legislative recommendations. |
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| 83 | 83 | | SECTION 6. ABOLISHMENT AND EXPIRATION. The task force is |
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| 84 | 84 | | abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2023. |
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| 85 | 85 | | SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 86 | 86 | | 1, 2021. |
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