| 1 | 1 | | 89R2523 SCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Flores H.B. No. 607 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to prohibited discrimination by health care providers |
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| 10 | 10 | | based on an individual's age, race, disability, immigration status, |
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| 11 | 11 | | sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 545, Government Code, as |
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| 14 | 14 | | effective April 1, 2025, is amended by adding Section 545.0206 to |
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| 15 | 15 | | read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 545.0206. DISCRIMINATION BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BASED |
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| 17 | 17 | | ON GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION PROHIBITED. (a) In this section: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) "Disability" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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| 19 | 19 | | 21.002, Labor Code. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) "Gender identity or expression" means having or |
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| 21 | 21 | | being perceived as having a gender-related identity, appearance, |
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| 22 | 22 | | expression, or behavior, regardless of whether that identity, |
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| 23 | 23 | | appearance, expression, or behavior is different from that commonly |
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| 24 | 24 | | associated with the individual's actual or perceived sex. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) A health care provider may not refuse to provide health |
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| 26 | 26 | | care services to a patient or enter into a contract for the |
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| 27 | 27 | | provision of health care services to a patient solely because of a |
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| 28 | 28 | | patient's age, race, disability, immigration status, sex, sexual |
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| 29 | 29 | | orientation, or gender identity or expression. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) A health care provider that violates this section is not |
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| 31 | 31 | | eligible to receive money from this state for services provided to |
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| 32 | 32 | | patients, including through the medical assistance program under |
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| 33 | 33 | | Chapter 32, Human Resources Code, or through the child health plan |
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| 34 | 34 | | program under Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act |
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| 36 | 36 | | a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a |
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| 37 | 37 | | federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, |
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| 38 | 38 | | the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or |
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| 39 | 39 | | authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the |
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| 40 | 40 | | waiver or authorization is granted. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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