| 1 | 1 | | 88R6475 MPF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Campos H.B. No. 1522 |
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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 the compilation and publication of information on |
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| 8 | 8 | | confirmed or probable cases of reportable diseases. |
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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. Section 81.047, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 81.047. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS; COMPILATION AND |
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| 13 | 13 | | PUBLICATION OF CERTAIN REPORT INFORMATION. (a) Subject to the |
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| 14 | 14 | | confidentiality requirements of this chapter, the department shall |
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| 15 | 15 | | require epidemiological reports of disease outbreaks and of |
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| 16 | 16 | | individual cases of disease suspected or known to be of importance |
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| 17 | 17 | | to the public health. The department shall evaluate the reports to |
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| 18 | 18 | | determine the trends involved and the nature and magnitude of the |
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| 19 | 19 | | hazards. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) Based on the information included in the |
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| 21 | 21 | | epidemiological reports required by Subsection (a), the department |
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| 22 | 22 | | shall compile, aggregate, and publish on the department's Internet |
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| 23 | 23 | | website information on the number of confirmed or probable cases of |
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| 24 | 24 | | each reportable disease included in the reports. The case |
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| 25 | 25 | | information must be: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) aggregated based on: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) the reportable disease; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) the date each case of a reportable disease is |
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| 29 | 29 | | reported to the department; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (C) the probable source of infection for each |
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| 31 | 31 | | case of a reportable disease; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) updated regularly as determined by the |
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| 33 | 33 | | commissioner. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) During a public health disaster or public health |
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| 35 | 35 | | emergency and based on the information included in the |
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| 36 | 36 | | epidemiological reports required by Subsection (a) for a reportable |
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| 37 | 37 | | disease related to the disaster or emergency, the department shall |
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| 38 | 38 | | compile, aggregate, and publish on the department's Internet |
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| 39 | 39 | | website information on the number of confirmed or probable cases of |
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| 40 | 40 | | the disease, including the number of deaths caused by or suspected |
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| 41 | 41 | | of being caused by the disease. The case information must be: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) aggregated based on: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (A) the date each case of the disease is reported |
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| 44 | 44 | | to the department; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (B) the probable source of infection for each |
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| 46 | 46 | | case of the disease; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (C) the date of each death and total number of |
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| 48 | 48 | | deaths caused by or suspected of being caused by the disease; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) updated daily. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (d) In publishing information required under this section, |
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| 51 | 51 | | the department may not disclose a patient's personally identifiable |
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| 52 | 52 | | information or information that is confidential under state or |
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| 53 | 53 | | federal law. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 2. Section 81.047, Health and Safety Code, as |
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| 55 | 55 | | amended by this Act, applies only to case information submitted on |
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| 56 | 56 | | or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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