88R7636 MPF-D
By: Miles S.B. No. 1354
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Rita Littlefield Chronic Kidney Disease Centralized
Resource Center established within the Health and Human Services
Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 83A to read as follows:
CHAPTER 83A. RITA LITTLEFIELD CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE CENTRALIZED
RESOURCE CENTER
Sec. 83A.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "resource
center" means the Rita Littlefield Chronic Kidney Disease
Centralized Resource Center established under this chapter.
Sec. 83A.002. ESTABLISHMENT OF RESOURCE CENTER. The Rita
Littlefield Chronic Kidney Disease Centralized Resource Center is
established within the commission to serve as a centralized system
through which persons may:
(1) request and obtain information on chronic kidney
disease and related illnesses, including each clinical stage of
kidney disease and end stage renal disease; and
(2) register for inclusion in a kidney health clinical
trials registry to receive information on clinical trials and
clinical trial opportunities for chronic kidney disease and related
illnesses.
Sec. 83A.003. ADMINISTRATION OF RESOURCE CENTER. (a) The
commission shall administer the resource center in accordance with
this chapter.
(b) The commission shall:
(1) structure and operate the resource center in a
manner that provides a comprehensive approach for readily accessing
information on and resources for chronic kidney disease and related
illnesses, including for each clinical stage of kidney disease and
end stage renal disease; and
(2) establish, and the resource center shall maintain,
a kidney health clinical trials registry through which patients and
family members of those patients may register to receive
educational information on clinical trials and clinical trial
opportunities based on the clinical stage of a patient's chronic
kidney disease or end stage renal disease.
(c) The comprehensive approach described by Subsection
(b)(1) must allow individuals to request and obtain or to directly
access aggregated information on:
(1) chronic kidney disease awareness, prevention, and
professional education opportunities, including:
(A) awareness campaigns for chronic kidney
disease and related illnesses;
(B) information on accessing free screenings for
chronic kidney disease and related illnesses;
(C) professional resources and continuing
education opportunities for health care providers who treat
patients with chronic kidney disease or related illnesses;
(D) for individuals who register for inclusion in
the clinical trials registry established under Subsection (b)(2),
information on clinical trials and clinical trial opportunities for
chronic kidney disease and related illnesses; and
(E) information on chronic kidney disease
partners, including chronic kidney disease patient advocates,
dialysis professionals, health care providers, researchers,
manufacturers, and other appropriate persons;
(2) patient and family resources, including:
(A) educational resources containing general and
specific chronic kidney disease information;
(B) resources containing information on chronic
kidney disease prevention and early detection of chronic kidney
disease and related illnesses;
(C) nutritional and metabolism information for
individuals with chronic kidney disease and related illnesses;
(D) resources appropriately tailored to provide
information on chronic kidney disease and related illnesses to
individuals within groups that experience health disparities,
including racial minorities;
(E) directories for physicians who specialize in
kidney health; and
(F) programs through which an individual may
obtain a kidney donation or be placed on a kidney donation list; and
(3) resources on chronic kidney disease treatment
options and modalities, including:
(A) kidney donations and kidney transplantation
initiatives;
(B) deceased and living organ donation programs
and initiatives;
(C) organ recipient registries;
(D) treatment options for chronic kidney disease
and end stage renal disease;
(E) financial assistance for obtaining treatment
for chronic kidney disease or related illnesses; and
(F) options for receiving treatment for chronic
kidney disease or related illnesses through the use of telehealth
service or telemedicine medical service, as those terms are defined
by Section 111.001, Occupations Code.
(d) The commission shall ensure information provided by the
resource center is available in both English and Spanish.
Sec. 83A.004. INTERNET WEBSITE. In collaboration with the
Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force established under Chapter 83, the
commission shall establish and the resource center shall maintain
an Internet website through which:
(1) resource center employees and members of the
public may directly communicate and exchange information on chronic
kidney disease and related illnesses; and
(2) individuals may register in the clinical trials
registry established under Section 83A.003(b)(2).
Sec. 83A.005. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The commission
may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source
to implement this chapter.
SECTION 2. The Health and Human Services Commission is
required to implement a provision of this Act only if the
legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If
the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
purpose, the commission may, but is not required to, implement a
provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that
purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.