Bill Text: TX SB1306 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and state agency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-18 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1306 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1306-Introduced.html
87R8261 MCF-D | ||
By: Blanco | S.B. No. 1306 |
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relating to the creation of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and | ||
state agency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
(1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the | ||
Department of State Health Services. | ||
(2) "COVID-19" means the 2019 novel coronavirus | ||
disease. | ||
(3) "Department" means the Department of State Health | ||
Services. | ||
(4) "Task force" means the COVID-19 Health Equity Task | ||
Force. | ||
SECTION 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE. The commissioner | ||
shall establish a task force to: | ||
(1) identify and address health and social inequities | ||
resulting in disproportionately higher rates of COVID-19 exposure, | ||
illness, and death among communities of color and other underserved | ||
populations; and | ||
(2) make recommendations to prevent and remedy | ||
disparate health care provision and COVID-19 outcomes within | ||
communities of color and other underserved populations. | ||
SECTION 3. COMPOSITION OF TASK FORCE. (a) The task force | ||
is composed of 18 members as follows: | ||
(1) one member who represents the Department of | ||
Agriculture; | ||
(2) one member who represents the Texas Education | ||
Agency; | ||
(3) one member who represents the Health and Human | ||
Services Commission; | ||
(4) one member who represents the Texas Department of | ||
Housing and Community Affairs; | ||
(5) one member who represents the Texas Department of | ||
Criminal Justice; | ||
(6) one member who represents the Texas Workforce | ||
Commission; | ||
(7) one member who represents the Texas Division of | ||
Emergency Management; | ||
(8) one member who represents the Department of State | ||
Health Services; | ||
(9) one member who represents children's health; | ||
(10) one member who represents university health | ||
science centers; | ||
(11) one member who represents associations that work | ||
with people with disabilities; | ||
(12) one member who represents tribal communities; | ||
(13) one member who represents mental health | ||
associations; | ||
(14) one member who represents an association for | ||
hospitals and health systems; | ||
(15) one member who represents an organization that | ||
works with the homeless community; | ||
(16) one member who represents domestic workers; | ||
(17) one member who represents nurses; and | ||
(18) one member who represents physicians. | ||
(b) The chief administrative officer of each state agency or | ||
division listed in Subsections (a)(1)-(8) of this section shall | ||
appoint an employee of the agency or division to represent the | ||
agency or division on the task force. The commissioner shall | ||
appoint the remaining members of the task force. | ||
(c) The commissioner shall designate a member as the | ||
presiding officer of the task force. | ||
(d) The task force shall meet regularly as determined by the | ||
presiding officer to set the agenda and direct the work of the task | ||
force. | ||
(e) Each state agency or division with a member on the task | ||
force shall provide administrative support to the task force as | ||
necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. STUDY. (a) The task force shall conduct a study | ||
to identify health inequities caused or exacerbated by COVID-19 and | ||
develop strategies to mitigate the health inequities caused or | ||
exacerbated by COVID-19. | ||
(b) The study must identify: | ||
(1) methods for state agency, local government, and | ||
tribal government officials to best allocate COVID-19 resources to | ||
communities with disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 | ||
infection, hospitalization, and mortality; | ||
(2) methods to promote equity in the disbursement of | ||
COVID-19 relief funding by state agencies; | ||
(3) measures for state agencies to achieve effective | ||
and culturally sensitive communication, messaging, and outreach to | ||
communities of color and other underserved populations; | ||
(4) any continuing health inequities faced by COVID-19 | ||
survivors that may merit a public health response; and | ||
(5) factors that contribute to disparities in COVID-19 | ||
outcomes and actions to combat the disparities in future public | ||
health emergencies. | ||
(c) In conducting the study required under this section, the | ||
task force shall cooperate with state agencies to develop: | ||
(1) short-term recommendations regarding: | ||
(A) data collection of COVID-19 outcomes in | ||
communities of color and other underserved populations; and | ||
(B) identification of data sources or indices | ||
that would enable the development of short-term goals for an | ||
appropriate COVID-19 response in communities of color and other | ||
underserved populations; and | ||
(2) long-term recommendations to address data | ||
collection inadequacies and challenges, including challenges | ||
related to data intersectionality that would otherwise ensure a | ||
more effective response to similar future situations. | ||
(d) In conducting the study required under this section, the | ||
task force may seek advice from: | ||
(1) health care providers and other health | ||
professionals; | ||
(2) policy experts; | ||
(3) state, local, and tribal health officials; | ||
(4) faith-based leaders; | ||
(5) businesses; | ||
(6) community organizations; | ||
(7) individuals who have experienced: | ||
(A) homelessness; | ||
(B) incarceration; | ||
(C) discrimination; and | ||
(D) other relevant issues; and | ||
(8) other interested persons. | ||
SECTION 5. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2022, the | ||
task force shall prepare and submit a report to the governor, the | ||
lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, | ||
and the members of the legislature that includes the results of the | ||
study conducted under Section 4 of this Act and any associated | ||
recommendations. | ||
SECTION 6. TASK FORCE COLLABORATION WITH STATE AGENCIES IN | ||
COVID-19 RESPONSE. (a) The commissioner of agriculture, the | ||
commissioners of the Texas Workforce Commission, the executive | ||
commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission, the | ||
presiding officer of the Texas Department of Housing and Community | ||
Affairs, the commissioner of education, the presiding officer and | ||
commissioners of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and | ||
the chief administrative officers of all other agencies with | ||
authority or responsibility related to COVID-19 response and | ||
recovery shall: | ||
(1) consult with the task force to strengthen equity | ||
data collection, reporting, and use related to COVID-19; | ||
(2) assess pandemic response plans and policies to | ||
determine whether personal protective equipment, tests, vaccines, | ||
therapeutics, and other resources have been or will be allocated | ||
equitably, including consideration of: | ||
(A) the disproportionately high rates of | ||
COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality in certain | ||
communities; and | ||
(B) any barriers that have restricted access to | ||
preventive measures, treatment, and other health services for | ||
high-risk populations; | ||
(3) based on the assessments described by Subsection | ||
(a)(2) of this section, modify pandemic response plans and policies | ||
to advance equity, with consideration of: | ||
(A) the effect of proposed policy changes on the | ||
distribution of resources to, and access to health care by, | ||
communities of color and other underserved populations; | ||
(B) the effect of proposed policy changes on | ||
agencies' ability to collect, analyze, and report data necessary to | ||
monitor and evaluate the impact of pandemic response plans and | ||
policies on communities of color and other underserved populations; | ||
and | ||
(C) policy priorities expressed by communities | ||
that have suffered disproportionate rates of illness and death as a | ||
result of the pandemic; | ||
(4) strengthen enforcement of antidiscrimination | ||
requirements pertaining to the availability of, and access to, | ||
COVID-19 care and treatment; and | ||
(5) partner with other state agencies, local | ||
governments, and tribal governments to explore mechanisms to | ||
provide greater assistance to individuals and families | ||
experiencing disproportionate economic or health effects from | ||
COVID-19, including expanding access to food, housing, child care, | ||
or income support. | ||
(b) The commissioner shall: | ||
(1) provide recommendations to state agencies, local | ||
governments, and tribal governments on facilitating the placement | ||
of contact tracers and other workers in communities hardest hit by | ||
the COVID-19 pandemic, recruit the tracers and workers from those | ||
communities, and connect the tracers and workers to existing health | ||
workforce training programs and other career advancement programs; | ||
and | ||
(2) conduct an outreach campaign to promote vaccine | ||
trust and approval among communities of color and other underserved | ||
populations with higher levels of vaccine mistrust due to | ||
discriminatory medical treatment and research, and engage with | ||
leaders within those communities. | ||
SECTION 7. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. (a) Chapter 2110, | ||
Government Code, does not apply to the task force. | ||
(b) This Act may not be construed to impair or otherwise | ||
affect the authority granted by law to a state agency or the chief | ||
administrative officer of a state agency. | ||
(c) This Act does not create any right or benefit, | ||
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any | ||
party against this state or any agency, officer, employee, or agent | ||
of this state, or any other person. | ||
SECTION 8. ABOLISHMENT AND EXPIRATION. This task force is | ||
abolished and this Act expires September 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September | ||
1, 2021. |