Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB578 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		87R94 SRA-F
2		-	By: Turner of Dallas, Allison, Price, H.B. No. 578
3		-	Coleman
	2	+	By: Turner of Dallas H.B. No. 578
4	3
5	4
6	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	6		AN ACT
8	7		relating to the health literacy advisory committee and health
9	8		literacy in the state health plan.
10	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	10		SECTION 1. Section 104.002, Health and Safety Code, is
12	11		amended by adding Subdivision (6) to read as follows:
13	12		(6) "Health literacy" means the degree to which an
14	13		individual has the capacity to obtain and understand basic health
15	14		information and services to make appropriate health decisions.
16	15		SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
17	16		Code, is amended by adding Section 104.0157 to read as follows:
18	17		Sec. 104.0157. HEALTH LITERACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)
19	18		The statewide health coordinating council shall establish an
20	19		advisory committee on health literacy composed of representatives
21	20		of relevant interest groups, including the academic community,
22	21		consumer groups, health plans, pharmacies, and associations of
23	22		physicians, dentists, hospitals, and nurses.
24	23		(b) Members of the advisory committee shall elect one member
25	24		as presiding officer.
26	25		(c) The advisory committee shall develop a long-range plan
27	26		for improving health literacy in this state. The committee shall
28	27		update the plan at least once every two years.
29	28		(d) In developing the long-range plan, the advisory
30	29		committee shall study the economic impact low health literacy has
31	30		on state health programs and health insurance coverage for
32	31		residents of this state. The advisory committee shall:
33	32		(1) identify primary risk factors contributing to low
34	33		health literacy;
35	34		(2) examine methods for health care practitioners,
36	35		health care facilities, and others to address the health literacy
37	36		of patients and the public;
38	37		(3) examine the effectiveness of using quality
39	38		measures in state health programs to improve health literacy;
40	39		(4) identify strategies for expanding the use of plain
41	40		language instructions for patients; and
42	41		(5) examine the impact improved health literacy has on
43	42		enhancing patient safety, reducing preventable events, and
44	43		increasing medication adherence to attain greater
45	44		cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in the provision of
46	45		health care.
47	46		(e) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
48	47		the advisory committee shall submit the long-range plan developed
49	48		or updated under this section to the governor, the lieutenant
50	49		governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each
51	50		member of the legislature.
52	51		(f) An advisory committee member serves without
53	52		compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the member's
54	53		travel expenses as provided by Chapter 660, Government Code, and
55	54		the General Appropriations Act.
56	55		(g) Sections 2110.002, 2110.003, and 2110.008, Government
57	56		Code, do not apply to the advisory committee.
58	57		(h) Meetings of the advisory committee under this section
59	58		are subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.
60	59		SECTION 3. Sections 104.022(e) and (f), Health and Safety
61	60		Code, are amended to read as follows:
62	61		(e) The state health plan shall be developed and used in
63	62		accordance with applicable state and federal law. The plan must
64	63		identify:
65	64		(1) major statewide health concerns, including the
66	65		prevalence of low health literacy among health care consumers;
67	66		(2) the availability and use of current health
68	67		resources of the state, including resources associated with
69	68		information technology and state-supported institutions of higher
70	69		education; and
71	70		(3) future health service, information technology,
72	71		and facility needs of the state.
73	72		(f) The state health plan must:
74	73		(1) propose strategies for the correction of major
75	74		deficiencies in the service delivery system;
76	75		(2) propose strategies for improving health literacy
77	76		to attain greater cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in
78	77		the provision of health care;
79	78		(3) [(2)] propose strategies for incorporating
80	79		information technology in the service delivery system;
81	80		(4) [(3)] propose strategies for involving
82	81		state-supported institutions of higher education in providing
83	82		health services and for coordinating those efforts with health and
84	83		human services agencies in order to close gaps in services; and
85	84		(5) [(4)] provide direction for the state's
86	85		legislative and executive decision-making processes to implement
87	86		the strategies proposed by the plan.
88	87		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.