Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB76 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R210 SRA-F
2	2	By: Johnson S.B. No. 76
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the health literacy advisory committee and health
8	8	literacy in the state health plan.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 104.002, Health and Safety Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Subdivision (6) to read as follows:
12	12	(6) "Health literacy" means the degree to which an
13	13	individual has the capacity to find, understand, and use health
14	14	information and services to inform health-related decisions and
15	15	actions.
16	16	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 104, Health and Safety
17	17	Code, is amended by adding Section 104.0156 to read as follows:
18	18	Sec. 104.0156. HEALTH LITERACY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)
19	19	The statewide health coordinating council shall establish an
20	20	advisory committee on health literacy composed of representatives
21	21	of relevant interest groups, including the academic community,
22	22	consumer groups, health plans, pharmacies, and associations of
23	23	physicians, dentists, nurses, and hospitals.
24	24	(b) Members of the advisory committee shall elect one member
25	25	as presiding officer.
26	26	(c) The advisory committee shall develop a long-range plan
27	27	for improving health literacy in this state. The committee shall
28	28	update the plan at least once every two years.
29	29	(d) In developing the long-range plan, the advisory
30	30	committee shall study the economic impact of low health literacy on
31	31	state health programs and health insurance coverage for state
32	32	residents. The advisory committee shall:
33	33	(1) identify primary risk factors contributing to low
34	34	health literacy;
35	35	(2) examine methods for health care practitioners,
36	36	health care facilities, and other persons to address the health
37	37	literacy of patients and other health care consumers;
38	38	(3) examine the effectiveness of using quality
39	39	measures in state health programs to improve health literacy;
40	40	(4) identify strategies for expanding the use of plain
41	41	language instructions for patients; and
42	42	(5) examine the impact of improved health literacy on
43	43	enhancing patient safety, reducing preventable events, and
44	44	increasing medication adherence to attain greater
45	45	cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in the provision of
46	46	health care.
47	47	(e) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
48	48	the advisory committee shall submit the long-range plan developed
49	49	or updated under this section to the governor, the lieutenant
50	50	governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each
51	51	member of the legislature.
52	52	(f) An advisory committee member serves without
53	53	compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for the member's
54	54	travel expenses as provided by Chapter 660, Government Code, and
55	55	the General Appropriations Act.
56	56	(g) Sections 2110.002, 2110.003, and 2110.008, Government
57	57	Code, do not apply to the advisory committee.
58	58	(h) Meetings of the advisory committee under this section
59	59	are subject to Chapter 551, Government Code.
60	60	SECTION 3. Sections 104.022(e) and (f), Health and Safety
61	61	Code, are amended to read as follows:
62	62	(e) The state health plan shall be developed and used in
63	63	accordance with applicable state and federal law. The plan must
64	64	identify:
65	65	(1) major statewide health concerns, including the
66	66	prevalence of low health literacy among health care consumers;
67	67	(2) the availability and use of current health
68	68	resources of the state, including resources associated with
69	69	information technology and state-supported institutions of higher
70	70	education; and
71	71	(3) future health service, information technology,
72	72	and facility needs of the state.
73	73	(f) The state health plan must:
74	74	(1) propose strategies for the correction of major
75	75	deficiencies in the service delivery system;
76	76	(2) propose strategies for improving health literacy
77	77	to attain greater cost-effectiveness and better patient outcomes in
78	78	the provision of health care;
79	79	(3) [(2)] propose strategies for incorporating
80	80	information technology in the service delivery system;
81	81	(4) [(3)] propose strategies for involving
82	82	state-supported institutions of higher education in providing
83	83	health services and for coordinating those efforts with health and
84	84	human services agencies in order to close gaps in services; and
85	85	(5) [(4)] provide direction for the state's
86	86	legislative and executive decision-making processes to implement
87	87	the strategies proposed by the plan.
88	88	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.