07 LC 36
0443
Senate
Bill 45
By:
Senators Thomas of the 54th, Unterman of the 45th, Mullis of the 53rd, Harbison
of the 15th, Tate of the 38th and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to the Department of Human Resources, so as to provide for the establishment of
a task force to develop a plan for education on chronic kidney disease; to
provide for membership and appointment of members to the task force; to provide
for duties and responsibilities; to provide for reports and recommendations from
such task force; to provide for related matters; to provide for automatic
repeal; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Department of Human Resources, is amended by adding a new Code section as
follows:
"31-2-10.
(a)
There is created within the Division of Public Health of the Department of Human
Resources the Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force. The task force shall be
composed of 22 members appointed as provided in this Code section who shall
serve without compensation except for actual expenses incurred for travel on the
official business of the task force. Vacancies in the task force shall be
filled by appointment in the manner of the original appointment.
(b)
The commissioner of human resources, or his or her designee, shall be one member
of the task force and shall serve as the chairperson. The remaining members
shall be selected as follows:
(1)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint two
members;
(2)
The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint two members;
(3)
The Georgia-South Carolina Society of Nephrology shall appoint two Georgia
physician members;
(4)
The National Kidney Foundation of Georgia shall appoint two members, one of whom
has kidney disease;
(5)
The Medical College of Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mercer University
School of Medicine, and Emory University School of Medicine shall each appoint
one member;
(6)
The Georgia chapters of the American Nephrology Nurses Association shall appoint
one member who is a registered nurse;
(7)
The Georgia Council of Nephrology Social Workers shall appoint one member who is
a licensed social worker;
(8)
The Georgia Council of Renal Nutritionists shall appoint one
member;
(9)
The Georgia chapters of the National Association of Nephrology Technicians shall
appoint two members, one of whom is a dialysis technician and one of whom
represents clinical laboratories;
(10)
The director of the Division of Public Health of the Department of Human
Resources shall appoint two members; and
(11)
The commissioner of community health shall appoint two members.
(c)
The chairperson shall convene the first meeting of the task force before July
31, 2007.
(d)
The task force shall have the following duties and
responsibilities:
(1)
To develop a plan to educate the public and health care professionals about the
advantages and methods of early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic
kidney disease and its complications based on the Kidney Disease Outcomes
Quality Initiative Clinical Practice Guidelines or other medically recognized
clinical practice guidelines;
(2)
To develop a plan to educate health care professionals about early kidney
replacement therapy education for patients, including in-center dialysis, home
hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and vascular access options and
transplantation, prior to the onset of kidney failure;
(3)
To make recommendations on the implementation of a cost-effective plan for early
screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease and its
complications for the State´s population;
(4)
To provide a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly,
the Governor, and the chairpersons of the Senate and House of Representatives
Health and Human Services Committees no later than December 31, 2007;
and
(5)
To perform such other activities as the task force finds necessary or convenient
in order to accomplish its purposes under this Code section.
(d)
The Department of Human Resources shall provide to the task force necessary
staff, research, and meeting facilities.
(e)
The task force shall complete its work no later than December 31, 2007, and
shall stand abolished on January 1, 2008. This Code section shall be repealed
by operation of law on January 1, 2008."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.