Sec. 87.021. SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM; REGISTRY ESTABLISHED

(a) The board shall establish in the department a program to:

(1) identify and investigate certain birth defects in children; and

(2) maintain a central registry of cases of birth defects.

(b) The board may authorize the department to implement a statewide program or to limit the program to a part or all of one or more public health regions, depending on the funding available to the department. In establishing the program, the board shall consider:

(1) the number and geographic distribution of births in the state;

(2) the trained personnel and other departmental resources that may be assigned to the program activities; and

(3) the occurrence or probable occurrence of an urgent situation that requires or will require an unusual commitment of the department's personnel and other resources.

(c) The board and the department shall design the program so that the program will:

(1) provide information to identify risk factors and causes of birth defects;

(2) provide information on other possible causes of birth defects;

(3) provide for the development of strategies to prevent birth defects;

(4) provide for interview studies about the causes of birth defects;

(5) together with other departmental programs, contribute birth defects data to a central registry;

(6) provide for the appointment of authorized agents to collect birth defects information; and

(7) provide for the active collection of birth defects information.

(d) The board shall adopt rules to govern the operation of the program and carry out the intent of this chapter. At a minimum, the rules shall:

(1) use a medically recognized system to specify the birth defects to be identified and investigated;

(2) select a system for classifying the birth defects according to the public health significance of each defect to prioritize the use of resources;

(3) develop a system to select and specify the cases to be investigated;

(4) specify a system for selecting the demographic areas in which the department may undertake investigations; and

(5) prescribe the training and experience a person must have for appointment as an authorized agent of the department.

(e) In adopting the rules required by Subsection (d), the board shall consider at least:

(1) the known incidence and prevalence rates of a birth defect in the state or portions of the state;

(2) the known incidence and prevalence rates of a particular birth defect in specific population groups who live in the state or portions of the state;

(3) the morbidity and mortality resulting from the birth defect; and

(4) the existence, cost, and availability of a strategy to prevent and treat the birth defect.

(f) In addition to providing for the active collection of birth defects information under Subsection (c)(7), the board and the department may design the program to also provide for the passive collection of that information.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 602, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1042, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003.