Public Health: Health Policy

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Health Planning & Policy

Health Policy

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Every day, the people of Tarrant County are protected by public policies. Tarrant County Public Health works with state and local representatives to shape public policy to address public health issues such as obesity, tobacco control, disaster preparedness, vaccine standards, disease control and environmental health. Public policy is an effective vehicle in affecting broad and lasting change.

Although legislative sessions are held only in odd-numbered years, informing and educating state and local representatives about public health issues and the policies that support health is a continual process. By the time a bill is introduced, several months -- if not years -- of groundwork has been laid. Diligence and planning are key to the policy process.

81st Texas Legislature Regular Session ended June 1, 2009

There were 7,609 pieces of legislation proposed and accepted in the House of Representatives and the Senate during the 140 days of deliberations and debates. Those that were related to public health were reviewed by the leadership at Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH). As the session came to a close, 1,499 pieces of legislation passed both chambers of the legislature and reached the governor's desk. June 21, 2009 was the deadline for Governor Perry to either sign or veto legislation. The following are the public health bills that were passed and being closely tracked by TCPH:

BILL #	AUTHOR(S)	CO-AUTHOR(S)	DESCRIPTION	EFFECTIVE DATE
HB 1067	Representative Naishtat (D)	N/A	Relating to a memorandum of understanding between certain authorized entities to share suicide data that does not identify any individual.	Immediately
HB 1218	Representative Donna Howard (D)	N/A	Relating to programs to exchange certain health information between the Health and Human Services Commission and certain health care entities and facilities.	9/1/2009
HB 1240	Reps. Villareal (D), Naishtat (D) and Coleman (D)	N/A	Relating to a resource guide in English and Spanish required to be provided to parents of an infant.	9/1/2009
HB 1362	Representative Gutierrez (D)	N/A	Relating to the pilot program for reporting of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus infections.	Immediately, except the change in law made by Section 81.0445(d), Health and Safety Code, takes effect September 1, 2009
HB 1363	Representatives Gutierrez (D) and Castro (D)	N/A	Relating to a diabetes mellitus registry pilot program.	9/1/2009
HB 1409	Representative Hopson (D)	N/A	Relating to the minimum patient age for administration of an influenza vaccination by a pharmacist.	9/1/2009
HB 1510	Reps. Bonnen (R), Marquez (D) and Naishtat (D)	Representatives Gutierrez (D) and Maldonado (D)	Relating to including information on sudden infant death syndrome in a resource pamphlet for parents of newborn children.	9/1/2009
HB 1530	Reps. Button (R), Driver (R), Hardcastle (R), Gonzalez Toureilles (D), Rios Ybarra (D)	Reps. Betty Brown (R), Crabb (R), Kent (D), Kleinschmidt (R), Doug Miller (R), Paxton (R), Ritter (D)	Relating to the licensing and regulation of health-related pest control by the Department of Agriculture.	9/1/2009
HB 1671	Reps. Crownover (D), Naishtat (D), Coleman (D) Zerwas (R) and Gonzalez Toureilles (D)	Reps. Gutierrez (D), Leibowitz (D) and Pierson (D)	Relating to mutual aid agreements for newborn screening laboratory services.	9/1/2009
HB 1672	Reps. Crownover (D), Zerwas (R), Coleman (D) Dukes (D) and Shelton (R)	Reps. Pierson (D), Naishtat (D), Maldonado (D), Gonzalez Toureilles (D), Ortiz, Jr. (D)	Relating to newborn screening.	Immediately
HB 1795	Reps. Pierson (D), Vaught (D) and Allen (D)	Representative King (R)	Relating to newborn screening and the creation of the Newborn Screening Advisory Committee.	9/1/2009
HB 1831	Reps. Corte (R), Edwards (D) and Eiland (D)	N/A	Relating to disaster preparedness and emergency management and to certain vehicles used in emergencies; providing a penalty.	9/1/2009
HB 1990	Reps. McReynolds (D), Guillen (D) and Leibowitz (D)	N/A	Relating to a diabetes self-management training pilot program under the state Medicaid program.	Immediately
HB 281	Reps. Anchia (D), Zerwas (R), Susan King (R), Coleman (D) and Guillen (D)	Representative Leibowitz (D)	Relating to grants for school-based health centers and biennial reports submitted to the legislature by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).	Immediately
HB 3012	Representative Coleman (D)	N/A	Relating to food handlers and other food service employees.	9/1/2009
HB 3094	Reps. Harless (R), Riddle (R) and Alvarado (D)	N/A	Relating to the regulation of massage parlors by counties; providing penalties.	Immediately
HB 448	Representative Hopson (D)	N/A	Relating to requiring the DSHS to implement a provider choice system for certain vaccines.	9/1/2009, except Section 2 takes effect September 1, 2010
HB 703	Representatives Rose (D) and Naishtat (D)	N/A	Relating to the development of a fall prevention policy that includes raising public awareness about preventing falls.	Immediately
SB 1171	Senator Nichols (R)	N/A	Relating to certain health-related reports, records, and information regarding communicable diseases or health conditions among public health districts, local health departments, and DSHS.	Immediately
SB 1328	Senator Nelson (R)	N/A	Relating to a study on the feasibility of providing vaccines to first responders deployed to a disaster area.	Immediately
SB 1732	Senator West (D)	Senator Van de Putte (D)	Relating to safety requirements for public swimming pools and other artificial bodies of water.	9/1/2009
SB 283	Senator Nelson (R)	Senators Lucio, Jr. (R) and West (D)	Relating to the membership and activities of local school health advisory councils and to parental involvement in human sexuality instruction in public schools.	9/1/2009
SB 291	Senator Nelson (R)	N/A	Relating to hepatitis B vaccination for students enrolled in certain health-related courses of study at an institution of higher education.	Immediately
SB 343	Senator Nelson (R)	Senators Estes (D) and Shapleigh (D)	Relating to the creation of an advisory committee to study the retail availability of healthy foods in certain underserved areas of this state.	Immediately
SB 346	Senator Nelson (R)	N/A	Relating to information submitted to and maintained in the immunization registry after and individual becomes an adult.	9/1/2009
SB 347	Senator Nelson (R)	N/A	Relating to the receipt and release of immunization information by the immunization registry in connection with a disaster; providing penalties.	9/1/2009
SB 361	Senator Patrick (R)	Senator Nichols (R)	Relating to the requirement that water and sewer service providers ensure operations during an extended power outage.	Immediately
SB 381	Senator Van de Putte (D)	N/A	Relating to the authority of physicians to delegate to certain pharmacists the implementation and modification of a patient's drug therapy.	9/1/2009
SB 532	Senator Patrick (R)	N/A	Relating to a physician's delegation of prescriptive authority to physician assistants or advanced practice nurses.	9/1/2009
SB 891	Senator Nelson (R)	Senators Shapleigh (D) and West (D)	Relating to public school physical education curriculum.	Immediately
SB 892	Senator Nelson (R)	N/A	Relating to inclusion in a public school campus improvement plan of goals and objectives for the campus coordinated health program.	Immediately
SB 968	Senator West (D)	N/A	Relating to interactive water features and fountains.	Immediately

For more information on health policy, please contact Yvette M. Jones in the Health Planning & Policy Division at (817) 321-5324 or ymjones@tarrantcounty.com.

Additional Resources:

Tarrant County Elections

2009-2010 Federal, State & County Elected Officials

Texas Legislature Online (TLO)

Guide to Texas Legislative Information – About the Legislative Process

Texas Public Health Association (TPHA)

TPHA Legislative Advocacy Guide - Guidelines for Effective Public Health Advocacy

Texas Association of Local Health Officials (TALHO)

Texas Health Institute (THI)

National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

The Library of Congress THOMAS - Federal Legislation

Health Promotion Database

Health Reform Library

Content Last Modified on 8/7/2009 4:36:10 PM

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