Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB728 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R1479 KKR-D
2	2	By: Lucio III H.B. No. 728
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to public health laboratory testing capabilities in
8	8	certain counties.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 12, Health and Safety
11	11	Code, is amended by adding Sections 12.0725, 12.073, and 12.074 to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 12.0725. PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY REPORT. (a) Not
14	14	later than September 1, 2022, the department shall prepare and
15	15	submit a written or electronic report to the legislature on public
16	16	laboratories in counties adjacent to the Texas-Mexico border. The
17	17	report must include:
18	18	(1) information on the existing testing capabilities
19	19	of the public laboratories, focusing on clinical, environmental,
20	20	and zoonotic testing capabilities; and
21	21	(2) recommendations to increase the efficiency,
22	22	effectiveness, and productivity of the public laboratories through
23	23	administrative action and legislation.
24	24	(b) The department shall collaborate with local health
25	25	departments established under Subchapter D, Chapter 121, and public
26	26	and private testing laboratories to collect information and develop
27	27	recommendations for the report.
28	28	(c) This section expires September 1, 2023.
29	29	Sec. 12.073. LOCAL AGREEMENTS TO INCREASE LABORATORY
30	30	TESTING. (a) Using available resources and as the department
31	31	determines appropriate, the department shall enter into agreements
32	32	with institutions of higher education as defined by Section 61.003,
33	33	Education Code, and public and private testing laboratories in this
34	34	state to increase the availability of public health laboratory
35	35	testing services for local health departments established under
36	36	Subchapter D, Chapter 121, in counties adjacent to the Texas-Mexico
37	37	border.
38	38	(b) The agreements must establish protocols that:
39	39	(1) ensure confidentiality of the laboratory testing;
40	40	(2) require the testing procedures to satisfy state
41	41	standards for laboratory testing;
42	42	(3) provide cost-effective resources to local health
43	43	departments to increase the availability of laboratory testing in
44	44	border counties;
45	45	(4) enhance the laboratory testing capacity,
46	46	including testing of human and nonhuman specimens, in border
47	47	counties; and
48	48	(5) ensure the efficiency, effectiveness, and
49	49	accuracy of laboratory test results.
50	50	Sec. 12.074. YEAR-ROUND ACCESS TO LABORATORY TESTING FOR
51	51	VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES. (a) Using available resources
52	52	and as the department determines appropriate, the department shall
53	53	support access to year-round laboratory testing for vector-borne
54	54	and zoonotic diseases to record and address local outbreaks of
55	55	vector-borne and zoonotic diseases in border counties that are most
56	56	at risk for the year-round outbreaks, including Maverick, Val
57	57	Verde, Webb, Zapata, Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron Counties.
58	58	(b) The department may directly authorize access to the
59	59	testing or may enter into a local agreement under Section 12.073 to
60	60	authorize access to the testing. The testing may include, as
61	61	appropriate:
62	62	(1) arboviral testing;
63	63	(2) speciation testing;
64	64	(3) PCR testing;
65	65	(4) IgM testing;
66	66	(5) IgG testing; and
67	67	(6) any other testing the department determines
68	68	appropriate.
69	69	SECTION 2. The Department of State Health Services is
70	70	required to implement a provision of this Act only if the
71	71	legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If
72	72	the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
73	73	purpose, the department may, but is not required to, implement a
74	74	provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that
75	75	purpose.
76	76	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.