SENATE BILL 74

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Gay G. Kernan

AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH; ESTABLISHING A STATEWIDE COMMUNITY-BASED ADULT FALL RISK AWARENESS AND PREVENTION PROGRAM; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public Health Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] STATEWIDE COMMUNITY-BASED ADULT FALL RISK AWARENESS AND PREVENTION PROGRAM.--

          A. By January 1, 2015, the department of health shall establish a statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program.

          B. In implementing the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program, the department of health shall:

                (1) contract for the development of a culturally competent and literacy level-appropriate statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention media campaign, to include a web page, a referral clearinghouse and statewide media placement of print, radio and television messages;

                (2) conduct program outreach to the public, to groups or to organizations that advocate for adult fall risk awareness and prevention and to health care providers;

                (3) arrange for and coordinate adult fall risk awareness and prevention training and workshops;

                (4) serve as a resource for information and written materials on adult fall risk awareness and prevention;

                (5) act as a liaison between the New Mexico healthy aging collaborative, the New Mexico older adult falls prevention coalition, groups or organizations that advocate for adult fall risk awareness and prevention and sources of funding for adult fall risk awareness and prevention programming and activities;

                (6) contract with one or more universities, colleges or other institutions of higher learning to provide educational programming in evidence-based fall risk assessment and fall prevention strategies;

                (7) contract with one or more area agencies on aging, community hospitals, the federal Indian health service, tribally operated 638 health programs or urban Indian health programs to provide fall risk awareness and prevention programming and literature to the public;

                (8) conduct trainer instructional workshops and booster training for evidence-based fall risk awareness and prevention programs; and  

                (9) contract with one or more senior centers, community centers, parks and recreation departments or other local, county, municipal or tribal organizations providing services to senior citizens to implement evidence-based interventions for adult fall prevention."

     SECTION 2. A new section of the Public Health Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] COLLABORATION BETWEEN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND AGING AND LONG-TERM SERVICES DEPARTMENT--ANNUAL REPORTING.-- The department and the aging and long-term services department shall collaborate to:

          A. support the goals of increasing public awareness of the risk of adult falls and improving access to community fall risk awareness and prevention programming;

          B. coordinate and avoid duplication of efforts to increase public awareness of the risk of adult falls and improve access to community fall risk awareness and prevention programming;

          C. develop and update performance measures for the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program, including measures to track the number of persons who participate in an evidence-based fall risk awareness and prevention program each year;

          D. compile and maintain performance measure data for the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program;

          E. compile and maintain data on the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program; and

          F. report annually to the legislative health and human services committee and to the legislative finance committee on:

                (1) public health surveillance findings on adult fall-related injuries and deaths; and

                (2) the impact, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program in preventing fall-related injuries and deaths."

     SECTION 3. APPROPRIATION.--

          A. The following amounts are appropriated from the general fund to the department of health for expenditure in fiscal year 2015 for the following purposes:

                (1) one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for one full-time employee to administer the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program;

                (2) two hundred thirty thousand dollars ($230,000) to contract for the development of a culturally competent and literacy level-appropriate statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention media campaign, creation of a web page and referral clearinghouse and statewide media placement of print, radio and television messages;

                (3) one hundred ten thousand dollars ($110,000) to contract with one or more universities, colleges or other institutions of higher learning to provide educational programming in evidence-based fall risk assessment and prevention strategies; and

                (4) five hundred fifteen thousand dollars ($515,000) to:

                     (a) contract with one or more area agencies on aging, community hospitals, the federal Indian health service, tribally operated 638 health programs or urban Indian health programs to provide fall risk awareness and prevention programming and literature to the public;

                     (b) conduct trainer instructional workshops and booster training for evidence-based fall awareness and prevention programs;

                     (c) contract with one or more senior centers, community centers, parks and recreation departments and other local, county, municipal or tribal organizations providing services to senior citizens to implement evidence-based interventions for adult fall prevention; and

                     (d) contract with a program evaluator to compile and maintain data on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the statewide community-based adult fall risk awareness and prevention program.

          B. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2015 shall revert to the general fund.

     SECTION 4. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.

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