| 1 | 1 | | 87R1481 EAS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 114 |
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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 establishment of a border public health response |
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| 8 | 8 | | team. |
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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. Chapter 161, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Subchapter X to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER X. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 161.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "Border county" means a county adjacent to the |
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| 15 | 15 | | international border with Mexico. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Disaster" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 17 | 17 | | 418.004, Government Code. The term includes a state of disaster |
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| 18 | 18 | | declared by: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) the president of the United States under the |
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| 20 | 20 | | Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 |
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| 21 | 21 | | U.S.C. Section 5121 et seq.); |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) the governor under Section 418.014, |
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| 23 | 23 | | Government Code; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (C) the presiding officer of the governing body |
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| 25 | 25 | | of a political subdivision under Section 418.108, Government Code. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) "Response team" means the border public health |
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| 27 | 27 | | response team established under Section 161.702. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) "Sanitarian" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1953.001, Occupations Code. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 161.702. BORDER PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM. The |
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| 31 | 31 | | department shall establish a border public health response team to |
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| 32 | 32 | | deploy in response to public health threats declared by the |
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| 33 | 33 | | commissioner and declared disasters in border counties. |
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| 34 | 34 | | Sec. 161.703. COMPOSITION OF RESPONSE TEAM. The response |
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| 35 | 35 | | team may be composed of the following members appointed by the |
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| 36 | 36 | | commissioner: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) an epidemiologist; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) a sanitarian; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) a nurse; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (4) a public health specialist; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (5) any other person the commissioner considers |
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| 42 | 42 | | appropriate. |
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| 43 | 43 | | Sec. 161.704. DEPARTMENT DUTIES. (a) The department, in |
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| 44 | 44 | | consultation with the response team, shall, as necessary, enter |
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| 45 | 45 | | into memoranda of understanding with other state agencies to |
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| 46 | 46 | | develop policies, plans, and procedures to facilitate an effective |
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| 47 | 47 | | response to a declared public health threat or disaster. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (b) The department shall provide, or contract to provide, |
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| 49 | 49 | | training, equipment, and support staff to the response team to |
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| 50 | 50 | | enhance the team's response efforts, as appropriate. |
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| 51 | 51 | | Sec. 161.705. RESPONSE TEAM DUTIES. During a declared |
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| 52 | 52 | | public health threat or disaster in a border county, the response |
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| 53 | 53 | | team shall, as appropriate: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (1) assess health infrastructure and response |
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| 55 | 55 | | capabilities for the threat or disaster in a border county; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (2) develop appropriate responses for the threat or |
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| 57 | 57 | | disaster in a border county; and |
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| 58 | 58 | | (3) address language, cultural, and environmental |
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| 59 | 59 | | factors that are unique to responding to the threat or disaster in a |
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| 60 | 60 | | border county. |
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| 61 | 61 | | Sec. 161.706. FUNDING. (a) The department shall |
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| 62 | 62 | | coordinate with the commission, the office of the governor, the |
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| 63 | 63 | | federal government, and any other appropriate entity for funding to |
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| 64 | 64 | | support the response team's activities. |
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| 65 | 65 | | (b) The department may accept on behalf of the response team |
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| 66 | 66 | | a gift, grant, or donation from any source to carry out the purposes |
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| 67 | 67 | | of this subchapter. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2021, the Department |
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| 69 | 69 | | of State Health Services shall establish the border public health |
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| 70 | 70 | | response team as required by Subchapter X, Chapter 161, Health and |
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| 71 | 71 | | Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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