Bill Text: TX HB3576 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the investigation of, and release of information concerning, communicable disease, including the Zika virus and other high consequence communicable diseases.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-6)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB3576 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB3576-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 3576 |
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relating to the investigation of, and release of information | ||
concerning, communicable disease, including the Zika virus and | ||
other high consequence communicable diseases. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 81.046(c), Health and Safety Code, as | ||
amended by Chapters 789 (H.B. 2646) and 1278 (S.B. 1574), Acts of | ||
the 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, is reenacted and | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(c) Medical or epidemiological information, including | ||
information linking a person who is exposed to a person with a | ||
communicable disease, may be released: | ||
(1) for statistical purposes if released in a manner | ||
that prevents the identification of any person; | ||
(2) with the consent of each person identified in the | ||
information; | ||
(3) to medical personnel treating the individual, | ||
appropriate state agencies in this state or another state, a health | ||
authority or local health department in this state or another | ||
state, or federal, county, or district courts to comply with this | ||
chapter and related rules relating to the control and treatment of | ||
communicable diseases and health conditions or under another state | ||
or federal law that expressly authorizes the disclosure of this | ||
information; | ||
(4) to appropriate federal agencies, such as the | ||
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ |
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(c-3), the information must be limited to the name, address, sex, | ||
race, and occupation of the patient, the date of disease onset, the | ||
probable source of infection, and other requested information | ||
relating to the case or suspected case of a communicable disease or | ||
health condition; | ||
(5) to medical personnel to the extent necessary in a | ||
medical emergency to protect the health or life of the person | ||
identified in the information; [ |
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(6) to a designated infection control officer; | ||
(7) [ |
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responders who may respond to a situation involving a potential | ||
communicable disease of concern and need the information to | ||
properly respond to the situation; or | ||
(8) [ |
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authority for a designated monitoring period based on the potential | ||
risk for developing symptoms of a communicable disease of concern. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 81.046, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended by adding Subsection (c-3) to read as follows: | ||
(c-3) The following medical or epidemiological information | ||
relating to a person who has or is suspected of having a present or | ||
potential health condition resulting from exposure to a high | ||
consequence communicable disease | ||
as defined by the department, | ||
including the Zika virus, may be released to an appropriate federal | ||
agency: | ||
(1) the name, address, sex, race, and occupation of | ||
the person; | ||
(2) the date of the onset of the health condition; | ||
(3) the probable source of infection or exposure; and | ||
(4) other requested information relating to the case | ||
or suspected case of the infection. | ||
SECTION 3. Sections 81.061(a) and (c), Health and Safety | ||
Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The department shall investigate the causes and effects | ||
of communicable disease and methods of prevention. | ||
(c) The department may investigate the existence of | ||
communicable disease in the state to determine the nature and | ||
extent of the disease and potential effects on the health of | ||
individuals and to formulate and evaluate the control measures used | ||
to protect the public health. A person shall provide records and | ||
other information to the department on request according to the | ||
department's written instructions. | ||
SECTION 4. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails | ||
over another Act of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, | ||
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted | ||
codes. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 3576 was passed by the House on May | ||
12, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 139, Nays 3, 1 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 3576 on May 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, | ||
2 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 3576 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
1. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |