Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1578 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R24212 SRA-F
2	2	By: Allison, Plesa, Jones of Dallas, Bucy H.B. No. 1578
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a health literacy plan developed by the statewide
8	8	health coordinating council and the inclusion of health literacy in
9	9	the state health plan.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 104.002, Health and Safety Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Subdivision (6) to read as follows:
13	13	(6) "Health literacy" means the degree to which an
14	14	individual has the capacity to find, understand, and use health
15	15	information and services to inform health-related decisions and
16	16	actions.
17	17	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
18	18	Code, is amended by adding Section 104.0156 to read as follows:
19	19	Sec. 104.0156. HEALTH LITERACY PLAN. (a) The statewide
20	20	health coordinating council shall develop a long-range plan for
21	21	improving health literacy in this state. The council shall update
22	22	the plan at least once every two years.
23	23	(b) In developing the long-range plan, the statewide health
24	24	coordinating council shall study the economic impact of low health
25	25	literacy on state health programs and health insurance coverage for
26	26	state residents. The council shall:
27	27	(1) identify primary risk factors contributing to low
28	28	health literacy;
29	29	(2) examine methods for health care practitioners,
30	30	health care facilities, and other persons to address the health
31	31	literacy of patients and other health care consumers;
32	32	(3) examine the effectiveness of using quality
33	33	measures in state health programs to improve health literacy;
34	34	(4) identify strategies for expanding the use of plain
35	35	language instructions for patients; and
36	36	(5) examine the impact of improved health literacy on
37	37	enhancing patient safety, reducing preventable events, and
38	38	increasing medication adherence to attain greater
39	39	cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in the provision of
40	40	health care.
41	41	(c) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered year,
42	42	the statewide health coordinating council shall submit the
43	43	long-range plan developed or updated under this section to the
44	44	governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of
45	45	representatives, and each member of the legislature.
46	46	SECTION 3. Sections 104.022(e) and (f), Health and Safety
47	47	Code, are amended to read as follows:
48	48	(e) The state health plan shall be developed and used in
49	49	accordance with applicable state and federal law. The plan must
50	50	identify:
51	51	(1) major statewide health concerns, including the
52	52	prevalence of low health literacy among health care consumers;
53	53	(2) the availability and use of current health
54	54	resources of the state, including resources associated with
55	55	information technology and state-supported institutions of higher
56	56	education; and
57	57	(3) future health service, information technology,
58	58	and facility needs of the state.
59	59	(f) The state health plan must:
60	60	(1) propose strategies for the correction of major
61	61	deficiencies in the service delivery system;
62	62	(2) propose strategies for improving health literacy
63	63	to attain greater cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in
64	64	the provision of health care;
65	65	(3) [(2)] propose strategies for incorporating
66	66	information technology in the service delivery system;
67	67	(4) [(3)] propose strategies for involving
68	68	state-supported institutions of higher education in providing
69	69	health services and for coordinating those efforts with health and
70	70	human services agencies in order to close gaps in services; and
71	71	(5) [(4)] provide direction for the state's
72	72	legislative and executive decision-making processes to implement
73	73	the strategies proposed by the plan.
74	74	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.