Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1645 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025S0136-1 02/24/25
2	2	By: Perry S.B. No. 1645
3	3
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to a study by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences
10	10	Center on health, nutrition, physical activity, and chronic health
11	11	issues in this state.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
14	14	(1) "Blue zone" means one of five geographic regions
15	15	of the world with the highest percentage of individuals who live to
16	16	be at least 100 years of age.
17	17	(2) "Child health plan program" means the programs
18	18	established under Chapters 62 and 63, Health and Safety Code.
19	19	(3) "Health science center" means the Texas Tech
20	20	University Health Sciences Center.
21	21	(4) "Medicaid" means the medical assistance program
22	22	established under Chapter 32, Human Resources Code.
23	23	(5) "Sweetened beverage" means a nonalcoholic
24	24	beverage with an added natural or artificial sweetener that is sold
25	25	for human consumption.
26	26	SECTION 2. STUDY. (a) The Texas Tech University Health
27	27	Sciences Center shall conduct a study on health, nutrition,
28	28	physical activity, and chronic health issues in this state.
29	29	(b) Using existing available information from the preceding
30	30	50 years, the study must:
31	31	(1) analyze historical changes in dietary habits
32	32	categorized by per capita consumption, including:
33	33	(A) changes in average daily caloric intake;
34	34	(B) changes in the consumption of:
35	35	(i) fresh fruits, vegetables, and other
36	36	whole foods;
37	37	(ii) red meat, poultry, and processed
38	38	meats; and
39	39	(iii) milk, butter, and cheese;
40	40	(C) a comparison of trends between refined grain
41	41	and whole grain consumption;
42	42	(D) trends in the increased consumption of:
43	43	(i) ultra-processed foods;
44	44	(ii) soda and other sweetened beverages;
45	45	and
46	46	(iii) added sugars in all food products;
47	47	(E) the expansion of the fast food industry and
48	48	the effects of the fast food industry on consumption trends;
49	49	(F) the use of high fructose corn syrup as a
50	50	sweetener in food and beverage products; and
51	51	(G) the use of industrial seed oils in food
52	52	products;
53	53	(2) analyze historical changes in the per capita
54	54	consumption of drugs and other substances, including:
55	55	(A) the consumption of:
56	56	(i) tea, coffee, energy drinks, and other
57	57	sources of caffeine; and
58	58	(ii) distilled spirits, malt beverages, and
59	59	wine; and
60	60	(B) the frequency of prescription opioid use and
61	61	trends in the abuse or misuse of opioids;
62	62	(3) assess historical changes in physical activity
63	63	levels, including:
64	64	(A) changes in sedentary behavior such as
65	65	increased screen time and the role of work and school environments
66	66	in affecting an individual's amount of physical activity;
67	67	(B) the decline of physical activity levels of
68	68	students in schools; and
69	69	(C) trends in recreational activity and gym
70	70	memberships;
71	71	(4) track the prevalence of chronic diseases and other
72	72	chronic health issues across various demographics and age groups,
73	73	including:
74	74	(A) obesity;
75	75	(B) Type 2 diabetes;
76	76	(C) cardiovascular disease;
77	77	(D) Alzheimer's disease and dementia;
78	78	(E) depression and other mental health
79	79	disorders;
80	80	(F) the correlation between chronic health
81	81	issues and deaths caused by suicide;
82	82	(G) autism;
83	83	(H) infertility and related conditions;
84	84	(I) nonalcoholic fatty liver disease;
85	85	(J) diet-related cancers, including colorectal
86	86	and breast cancer; and
87	87	(K) sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep
88	88	apnea, and other conditions related to lifestyle;
89	89	(5) evaluate blue zones to identify best practices
90	90	linked to health and a long life expectancy;
91	91	(6) analyze trends in state and federal health care
92	92	spending as follows:
93	93	(A) increases in spending for the Medicaid
94	94	program, including per capita cost, enrollment increases, and
95	95	factors contributing to the increases;
96	96	(B) increases in federal spending for Medicare,
97	97	including the trends in the cost for individual enrollees,
98	98	prescription drug costs, and hospital care expenditures; and
99	99	(C) trends in this state's spending for the child
100	100	health plan program;
101	101	(7) analyze private insurance costs, including:
102	102	(A) historical information on the increased
103	103	price of health insurance premiums for employers and individuals;
104	104	(B) increases in average deductibles, copays,
105	105	and other direct costs to individuals with private insurance; and
106	106	(C) changes to the cost of an employer health
107	107	benefit plan as a portion of an employee's total compensation; and
108	108	(8) evaluate the broader economic impact of the rise
109	109	in chronic disease and related chronic health issues on:
110	110	(A) total health care spending as a percentage of
111	111	the total gross domestic product of this state;
112	112	(B) the average amount of household income spent
113	113	on health care costs in the United States;
114	114	(C) the average amount of medical debt incurred
115	115	by individuals in the United States;
116	116	(D) the percentage of uninsured individuals in
117	117	this state and the financial impact on hospitals and emergency
118	118	services of providing health care services to those individuals;
119	119	(E) the cost of prescription drugs in this state,
120	120	including the cost of specialty medications and the impact of
121	121	patents, generic drugs, and biosimilar drugs on the cost of
122	122	prescription drugs; and
123	123	(F) the growth of administrative expenses as a
124	124	share of the total health care costs in this state.
125	125	(c) To the extent possible, the study must prioritize the
126	126	use of Texas-specific data. In instances where state-level data is
127	127	unavailable, national data may be used as a substitute, with clear
128	128	distinctions being noted in the study's findings to ensure
129	129	transparency and prevent misrepresentation of statewide trends.
130	130	SECTION 3. STATE AGENCY ASSISTANCE. On request of the
131	131	health science center, the Department of State Health Services, the
132	132	Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of
133	133	Agriculture, and the Texas Education Agency shall provide
134	134	information to assist the health science center in completing the
135	135	study under this Act.
136	136	SECTION 4. COLLABORATION. The health science center may
137	137	collaborate with other relevant state and federal agencies as
138	138	necessary to conduct the study required under this Act.
139	139	SECTION 5. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2026, the
140	140	health science center shall submit to the Health and Human Services
141	141	Commission and any standing committee of the legislature with
142	142	primary jurisdiction over health and safety a written report of the
143	143	study conducted under Section 2 of this Act.
144	144	SECTION 6. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2027.
145	145	SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
146	146	1, 2025.