HBA-NMO H.B. 3334 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3334
By: McClendon
Public Health
4/16/1999
Introduced


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current efforts to exchange healthcare information and technical assistance
between Texas and Mexico may not be delivering their full potential.  H.B.
3334 establishes the interim committee on binational exchange of health
information  to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of information on
disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and Mexico.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the interim committee on binational
exchange of health information in SECTION 1 of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. (a)  Establishes the interim committee on binational exchange of
health information to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of
information on disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and the
United Mexican States.  
 
(b)  Provides that the interim committee is composed of five members of the
senate, appointed by the lieutenant governor; and five members of the house
of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives.  
 
(c)  Requires the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
representatives to alternate the designation of a presiding officer and
vice presiding officer from among the members appointed to the committee,
with each officer serving in that capacity for not more than one year.
Requires the lieutenant governor to designate the first presiding officer
and requires the speaker of the house of representatives to designate the
first vice presiding officer.  
 
(d)  Requires the committee to meet at the call of the presiding officer. 
 
(e)  Requires the committee to study state laws inhibiting the exchange of
information on disease and epidemiological reporting between Texas and the
United Mexican States,  and state laws inhibiting the cross-border exchange
of equipment and personnel to provide technical assistance and to enhance
the capacity of Texas and the United Mexican States to obtain and exchange
the information.  
 
(f)   Requires the committee, not later than January 15, 2001, to issue a
report describing the committee's recommendations to the lieutenant
governor and the speaker of the house of representatives.  

(g)  Requires the committee to adopt rules to administer this section. 
 
(h)  Provides that the committee is abolished and that this section expires
September 1, 2001.  
 
SECTION 2.  Requires the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
of representatives, before November 1, 1999, to appoint members to the
interim committee on binational exchange of information.  
  
SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.