HBA-MPM H.B. 2670 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2670
By: Janek
Public Health
3/22/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The federal vaccines for children program (program) was developed to
support efforts to increase childhood immunization levels by providing
publically purchased vaccines to eligible children.  A large number of
Texas children qualify for vaccines through the program.  The majority of
vaccinations provided through the program are administered in the offices
of private physicians who are program providers.  The physicians receive
the vaccine at no cost in exchange for abiding by federal laws concerning
the use of the vaccines.  Currently, the Texas Department of Health (TDH)
selects which brands of vaccines on the federal list will be provided for
use in the program.  Program physicians are then sent the state-selected
brand, which may be different from the brand of vaccine already in use in
the physician's private practice. Giving the physician the ability to
select the brand of vaccine would allow the physician to exercise
professional judgment and provide the same vaccines to all children the
physician inoculates.  Additionally, TDH only makes some combination
vaccines which allow for fewer injections available to physicians.
Providing all available combination vaccines to physicians might allay
concerns over the number of injections during any one health care visit and
assist in the timely completion of the immunization series. House Bill 2670
requires TDH to allow program physicians to select vaccines from the
federal list and to use combination vaccines. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2670 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Texas
Department of Health to allow each health care provider participating in
the vaccines for children program to select vaccines from the list of all
vaccines that are recommended and approved by the federal advisory
committee on immunization practices and under contract with the Centers for
Disease Control of the United States Public Health Service and to use
combination vaccines. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.