By: Nelson, Lucio  S.B. No. 64
         (In the Senate - Filed November 12, 2012; January 28, 2013,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human
  Services; March 4, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0;
  March 4, 2013, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 64 By:  Nelson
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to a policy on vaccine-preventable diseases for licensed
  child-care facilities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Human Resources Code,
  is amended by adding Section 42.04305 to read as follows:
         Sec. 42.04305.  VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASE POLICY REQUIRED.  
  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Facility employee" means an employee of a
  child-care facility.
               (2)  "Vaccine-preventable diseases" means the diseases
  included in the most current recommendations of the Advisory
  Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease
  Control and Prevention.
         (b)  Each child-care facility, other than a facility that
  provides care in the home of the director, owner, operator, or
  caretaker of the facility, shall develop and implement a policy to
  protect the children in its care from vaccine-preventable diseases.
         (c)  The policy must:
               (1)  require each facility employee to receive vaccines
  for the vaccine-preventable diseases specified by the child-care
  facility based on the level of risk the employee presents to
  children by the employee's routine and direct exposure to children;
               (2)  specify the vaccines a facility employee is
  required to receive based on the level of risk the employee presents
  to children by the employee's routine and direct exposure to
  children;
               (3)  include procedures for verifying whether a
  facility employee has complied with the policy;
               (4)  include procedures for a facility employee to be
  exempt from the required vaccines for the medical conditions
  identified as contraindications or precautions by the Centers for
  Disease Control and Prevention;
               (5)  for a facility employee who is exempt from the
  required vaccines, include procedures the employee must follow to
  protect children in the facility's care from exposure to disease,
  such as the use of protective medical equipment, including gloves
  and masks, based on the level of risk the employee presents to
  children by the employee's routine and direct exposure to children;
               (6)  prohibit discrimination or retaliatory action
  against a facility employee who is exempt from the required
  vaccines for the medical conditions identified as
  contraindications or precautions by the Centers for Disease Control
  and Prevention, except that required use of protective medical
  equipment, including gloves and masks, may not be considered
  retaliatory action for purposes of this subdivision;
               (7)  require the child-care facility to maintain a
  written or electronic record of each facility employee's compliance
  with or exemption from the policy; and
               (8)  state the disciplinary actions the child-care
  facility is authorized to take against a facility employee who
  fails to comply with the policy.
         (d)  The policy may include procedures for a facility
  employee to be exempt from the required vaccines based on reasons of
  conscience, including a religious belief.
         (e)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary
  to implement this section.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than June 1, 2014, the executive
  commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall
  adopt the rules necessary to implement Section 42.04305, Human
  Resources Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  Notwithstanding Section 42.04305, Human
  Resources Code, as added by this Act, a child-care facility subject
  to that section is not required to have a policy on
  vaccine-preventable diseases in effect until September 1, 2014.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
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