Texas Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke

Legislative Reference: Texas Statutes: Health and Safety Code Chapter 93 Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke

Guidelines for Appointment

(a) The council. A council shall be appointed under and governed by this section.

(1) The name of the council shall be the Council on Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (council).

(2) The council is authorized to be established by the Texas Board of Health (board) by Title 25. Health and Safety, Part I Texas Department of Health, Chapter 93 Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

(b) Applicable law. The council is subject to Title 2. Health, Subtitle A., Texas Department of Health, Chapter 11. Organization of Texas Department of Health, s 11.016 Advisory Committees, Health and Safety Code, pertaining to state agency advisory committees.

(c) Purpose. The purpose of the council is to develop an effective and resource-efficient plan to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and economic burden of cardiovascular disease and stroke in this state, develop a database of clinical resources and a cardiovascular disease and stroke database.

(d) Tasks.

(1) In developing the cardiovascular disease and stroke plan the council shall:

(A) conduct health education, public awareness, and community outreach activities that relate to cardiovascular disease and stroke;

(B) promote, enhance and coordinate health education, public awareness, and community outreach activities that relate to cardiovascular disease and stroke and that are provided by private and other public organizations;

(C) coordinate activities with other entities that are concerned with medical conditions that are similar to cardiovascular disease and stroke or that have similar risk factors;

(D) identify to health care providers, employers, schools, community health centers, and other groups the benefits of encouraging treatment, prevention, and public awareness of cardiovascular disease and stroke and recognize innovative and effective programs that achieve the objectives of improved treatment, prevention and public awareness;

(E) provide guidance regarding the roles and responsibilities of government agencies, health care providers, employers, third-party payers, patients, and families of patients in the treatment, prevention and public awareness of cardiovascular disease and stroke;

(F) improve access to treatment for and prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke through public awareness programs, including access for uninsured individuals and individuals living in rural or underserved areas;

(G) assist communities to develop comprehensive local cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention programs;

(H) assist the Texas Education agency and local school districts to promote a public school curriculum that includes physical, nutritional, and health education relating to cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention; and

(I) evaluate and enhance the implementation and effectiveness of the program developed under this chapter.

(2) In developing the database of clinical resources the council shall:

(A) review available clinical resources

(B) develop a database of recommendations for appropriate care and treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease or who have suffered from or are at risk for stroke; and

(C) make the database accessible to the public.

(3) In developing the cardiovascular disease and stroke database the council shall:

(A) collect and analyze information related to cardiovascular disease and stroke at the state and regional level, and to the extent feasible, at the local level;

(B) obtain information from federal and state agencies and from private and public organizations;

(C) maintain a database of information. To perform its duties the council may request and receive information in the possession of any state agency. Information in the possession of this council that identifies a patient or that is otherwise confidential under law is confidential under chapter 552, Government Code and may not be disclosed for any purpose.

(e) Composition. The council shall be composed of 12 members appointed by the board.

(f) Term of Office. The term of office for each council member shall be six years.

(1) Members shall be appointed for staggered terms with the terms of one-third of the members expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year.

(2) The initial members shall be appointed by the Board with four persons appointed to terms expiring February 1, 2001, four to terms expiring February 1, 2003, and four to terms expiring February 1, 2005.

(3) If a vacancy occurs, a person shall be appointed to serve the unexpired portion of that term.

(g) Officers. The council shall elect a presiding office and an assistant presiding officer at its first meeting after August 31 of each year.

(1) Each officer shall serve until the next regular election of officers.

(2) the presiding officer shall preside at all council meetings at which he or she is in attendance, call meetings in accordance with this section, appoint subcommittees of the committee as necessary, and cause proper reports to be made to the board. The presiding office may serve as an ex-officio member of any subcommittee of the council.

(3) the assistant presiding officer shall perform the duties of the presiding office in case of the absence or disability of the presiding officer. In case the office of presiding officer becomes vacant, the assistant presiding officer will serve until a successor is elected to complete the unexpired portion of the term of the office of presiding officer.

(4) A vacancy which occurs in the offices of presiding officer or assistant presiding officer may be filled at the next committee meeting.

(5) A member shall serve no more that two consecutive terms as presiding officer and/or assistant presiding officer.

(6) The council may reference its officers by other terms, such as chairpersons and vice-chairperson.

(h) Meetings. The council shall meet as necessary to conduct council business.

(1) A meeting may be called by agreement of department staff and either the presiding officer or at least three members of the committee.

(2) Meeting arrangements shall be made by department staff. Department staff shall contact council members to determine availability for a meeting date and place.

(3) Each meeting of the council shall be announced and conducted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551.

(4) Each member of the council shall be informed of a council meeting at least five working days before the meeting.

(5) A simple majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting official business.

(6) The council is authorized to transact official business only when in a legally constituted meeting with a quorum present.

(7) The agenda for each council meeting shall include an item entitled public comment under which any person will be allowed to address the council on matters relating to council business. The presiding officer may establish procedures for public comment, including a time limit on each comment.

(i) Attendance. Members shall attend council meetings as scheduled. Members shall attend meetings of subcommittees to which the member is assigned.

(1) A member shall notify the presiding officer or appropriate department staff if he or she is unable to attend a scheduled meeting.

(2) It is ground for removal from the council if a member cannot discharge the member’s duties for a substantial part of the term for which the member is appointed because of illness or disability, is absent from more than half of the council and subcommittee meetings during a calendar year, or is absent from at least three consecutive council meetings.

(3) The validity of an action of the council is not affected by the fact that it is talked when a ground for removal of a member exists.

(4) The attendance records of the members shall be reported to the board. The reports shall include attendance at council and subcommittee meetings.

(j) Staff. Staff support for the council shall be provided by the department.

(k) Procedures. Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall be the basis of parliamentary decisions except where otherwise provided by law or rule.

(1) any action taken by the council must be approved by a majority vote of the members present once quorum is established.

(2) Each member shall have one vote.

(3) A member may not authorize another individual to represent the member by proxy.

(4) The council shall make decisions in the discharge of its duties without discrimination based on any person’s race, creed, gender, religion, national origin, age, physical condition or economic status.

(5) Minutes of each council meeting shall be taken by department staff.

(A) A draft of the minutes approved by the presiding officer shall be provided to the board and each member of the council within 30 days of each meeting.

(B) After approval by the council, the minutes shall be signed by the presiding officer.

(l) Committees. The council may establish committees as necessary to assist the council in carrying out its duties.

(1) The presiding officer shall appoint members of the council to serve on committees and to act as committee chairpersons. The presiding officer may also appoint nonmembers of the council to serve on committees.

(2) Committees shall meet when called by the committee chairperson or when so directed by the council.

(3) A committee chairperson shall make regular reports to the council at each council meeting or in interim written reports as needed. The reports shall include an executive summary or minutes of each subcommittee meeting.

(m) Statement by members. The board, department and the council shall not be bound in any way by any statement of action on the part of any council member except when a statement of action is in pursuit of specific instruction from the board, department or council.

(n) Reports to Board and Legislature. Not later than January 15 of each year, the council shall report to the board on activities of the council in the preceding calendar year. Not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, the council shall report to the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives on the activities of the council in the preceding two calendar years.

(1) The reports shall list the meeting dates of the council and any committees, the attendance records of its members, a brief description of actions taken by the council, a description of how the council has accomplished the tasks given to the council by the board, the status of any rules which were recommended by the council to the board, anticipate activities of the committee for the next year, and any amendments to this section requested by the council.

(2) the reports shall identify the costs related to the council’s existence, including the cost of agency staff time spent in support of the committee’s activities.

(3) The reports shall cover the meetings and activities in the immediate preceding 12 months and shall be files with the board by January 15. It shall be signed by the presiding officer and appropriate department staff.

(o)Reimbursement for expenses. Members of the council may not receive compensation for service on the council, and except as provided below, may not be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred while conducting the business of the council.

(1) The commissioner may authorize reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by a member while conducting the business of the council if the commissioner finds on application of the member that travel for council business imposes a financial hardship on the member.

Last Updated May 5, 2005