| 1 | 1 | | 84R4172 AJZ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Farrar H.B. No. 707 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to providing information and other services relating to |
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| 8 | 8 | | emergency contraception to sexual assault survivors. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 323, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 11 | | by adding Sections 323.0051 and 323.0052 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 323.0051. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVE INFORMATION. (a) |
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| 13 | 13 | | The department shall develop a standard information form for sexual |
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| 14 | 14 | | assault survivors that includes information regarding emergency |
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| 15 | 15 | | contraception. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) Emergency contraception information contained in the |
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| 17 | 17 | | form must be medically and factually accurate and unbiased. The |
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| 18 | 18 | | department may use appropriate medical organizations and |
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| 19 | 19 | | associations, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and |
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| 20 | 20 | | Gynecologists, as resources in developing the form. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) The information form shall be published in: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) an easily comprehensible form; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) a typeface large enough to be clearly legible. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (d) The department shall annually review the information |
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| 25 | 25 | | form to determine if changes to the contents of the form are |
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| 26 | 26 | | necessary. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (e) A health care facility shall use the standard form |
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| 28 | 28 | | developed under this section. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Sec. 323.0052. EMERGENCY SERVICES RELATING TO EMERGENCY |
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| 30 | 30 | | CONTRACEPTION. In addition to the other services and information |
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| 31 | 31 | | required under this chapter, after a sexual assault survivor |
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| 32 | 32 | | arrives at a health care facility for emergency care following an |
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| 33 | 33 | | alleged sexual assault, the facility shall: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) provide the sexual assault survivor with the |
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| 35 | 35 | | information form required under Section 323.0051; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) orally communicate to the sexual assault survivor |
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| 37 | 37 | | the information regarding emergency contraception contained in the |
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| 38 | 38 | | information form provided under Subdivision (1); |
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| 39 | 39 | | (3) if indicated by the history of contact, orally |
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| 40 | 40 | | inform the sexual assault survivor that the survivor may request |
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| 41 | 41 | | and be provided with emergency contraception at the facility; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (4) if not medically contraindicated and if the |
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| 43 | 43 | | survivor agrees to submit to a pregnancy test and that pregnancy |
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| 44 | 44 | | test produces a negative result, provide the sexual assault |
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| 45 | 45 | | survivor with emergency contraception immediately on request of the |
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| 46 | 46 | | survivor. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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