Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2729 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R8399 SRA-D
2	2	By: Slaton H.B. No. 2729
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to in-person visitation of an immediate family member or
8	8	religious counsel with seriously ill or dying hospital patients and
9	9	facility residents.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 241, Health and Safety
12	12	Code, is amended by adding Section 241.012 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 241.012. IN-PERSON VISITATION OF IMMEDIATE FAMILY
14	14	MEMBER OR RELIGIOUS COUNSEL. (a) In this section:
15	15	(1) "Immediate family member" means an individual who
16	16	is related to a person within the second degree by affinity or
17	17	consanguinity, as determined under Chapter 573, Government Code.
18	18	(2) "Religious counsel" means an individual acting
19	19	substantially in a pastoral or religious capacity to counsel other
20	20	individuals.
21	21	(b) A hospital may not prohibit in-person visitation,
22	22	including visitation during a state of disaster declared under
23	23	Chapter 418, Government Code, of the following individuals with a
24	24	patient at the hospital who is seriously ill or dying:
25	25	(1) an immediate family member of the patient; or
26	26	(2) religious counsel.
27	27	(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a hospital may require
28	28	the immediate family member or religious counsel to:
29	29	(1) submit to a health screening administered by the
30	30	hospital; and
31	31	(2) wear personal protective equipment at all times
32	32	while visiting a patient at the hospital.
33	33	(d) In the event of a conflict between this section and any
34	34	other law, this section prevails.
35	35	SECTION 2. Subchapter L, Chapter 242, Health and Safety
36	36	Code, is amended by adding Section 242.506 to read as follows:
37	37	Sec. 242.506. IN-PERSON VISITATION OF IMMEDIATE FAMILY
38	38	MEMBER OR RELIGIOUS COUNSEL. (a) In this section:
39	39	(1) "Immediate family member" means an individual who
40	40	is related to a person within the second degree by affinity or
41	41	consanguinity, as determined under Chapter 573, Government Code.
42	42	(2) "Religious counsel" means an individual acting
43	43	substantially in a pastoral or religious capacity to counsel other
44	44	individuals.
45	45	(b) A facility may not prohibit in-person visitation,
46	46	including visitation during a state of disaster declared under
47	47	Chapter 418, Government Code, of the following individuals with a
48	48	resident of the facility who is seriously ill or dying:
49	49	(1) an immediate family member of the patient; or
50	50	(2) religious counsel.
51	51	(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a facility may require
52	52	the immediate family member or religious counsel to:
53	53	(1) submit to a health screening administered by the
54	54	facility; and
55	55	(2) wear personal protective equipment at all times
56	56	while visiting a resident at the facility.
57	57	(d) In the event of a conflict between this section and any
58	58	other law, this section prevails.
59	59	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
60	60	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
61	61	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
62	62	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
63	63	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.