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               AN ACT
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            relating to the timely billing of health care services related to a  | 
         
         
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            personal injury claim. | 
         
         
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                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 1.  Section 146.002, Civil Practice and Remedies  | 
         
         
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            Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding  | 
         
         
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            Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: | 
         
         
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                   (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c) and subject  | 
         
         
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            to Subsection (c-1), a health care service provider shall bill a  | 
         
         
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            patient or other responsible person for services provided to the  | 
         
         
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            patient not later than the first day of the 11th month after the  | 
         
         
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            date the services are provided. | 
         
         
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                   (c-1)  If a health care service provider provides services to  | 
         
         
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            a patient that are related to a personal injury claim for which the  | 
         
         
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            patient is represented by an attorney and unless otherwise directed  | 
         
         
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            by the patient or other responsible person, the provider may  | 
         
         
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            satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a) by submitting the bill  | 
         
         
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            to the patient's attorney not later than the first day of the 11th  | 
         
         
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            month after the date the services are provided. | 
         
         
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                   (d)  For purposes of this section, the date of billing is the  | 
         
         
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            date on which the health care service provider's bill is: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  mailed to the patient, [or] responsible person, or  | 
         
         
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            attorney representing the patient, as applicable, postage prepaid,  | 
         
         
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            at the address of the patient, [or] responsible person, or attorney  | 
         
         
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            representing the patient as shown on the health care service  | 
         
         
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            provider's records; or | 
         
         
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                         (2)  mailed or otherwise submitted to the issuer of the  | 
         
         
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            health benefit plan or third party payor as required by the health  | 
         
         
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            benefit plan or third party payor. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only  | 
         
         
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            to a health care service provided on or after the effective date of  | 
         
         
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            this Act.  A health care service provided before the effective date  | 
         
         
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            of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the  | 
         
         
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            effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for  | 
         
         
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            that purpose. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | 
         
         
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            ______________________________ | 
            ______________________________ | 
         
         
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               President of the Senate | 
            Speaker of the House      | 
         
         
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                   I certify that H.B. No. 4145 was passed by the House on April  | 
         
         
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            29, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 4, 1 present, not  | 
         
         
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            voting. | 
         
         
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            ______________________________ | 
         
         
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            Chief Clerk of the House    | 
         
         
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                   I certify that H.B. No. 4145 was passed by the Senate on May  | 
         
         
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            28, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
         
         
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            ______________________________ | 
         
         
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            Secretary of the Senate     | 
         
         
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            APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
         
         
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                      _____________________ | 
         
         
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                             Governor        |