Committee on Public Health

Jurisdiction:

Public Health

(a) The committee shall have 13 members, with jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:

(1) the protection of public health, including supervision and control of the practice of medicine and dentistry and other allied health services;
(2) mental health and the development of programs incident thereto;
(3) the prevention and treatment of mental illness;
(4) oversight of the Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council as it relates to the subject matter jurisdiction of this committee; and
(5) the following state agencies: the Department of State Health Services, the State Anatomical Advisory Committee, the Texas Funeral Service Commission, the Hearing Instrument Fitters and Dispensers Advisory Board, the Texas Health Services Authority, the Texas Optometry Board, the Texas Radiation Advisory Board, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, the Texas Board of Nursing, the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, the Massage Therapy Advisory Board, the Podiatric Medical Examiners Advisory Board, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists, the Behavior Analyst Advisory Board, the State Board of Dental Examiners, the Texas Medical Board, the Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners, the Health Professions Council, the Office of Patient Protection, the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, and the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium.
(b) The committee has one permanent standing subcommittee, a subcommittee on Disease Prevention and Women’s and Children’s Health, to consider all matters relating to:
(1) preventing and treating chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease;
(2) preventative health services, including well-child care, prenatal care, screenings for cancer and chronic disease, behavioral health, and immunizations; and
(3) reducing the impact of delayed care on the state’s health care delivery system, health care costs, and patient outcomes.