Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 2856 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Texas Department of Health to make publicly available certain information pertaining to abortion facilities. Such information includes the license status of a facility, the date and results of its last inspection including any identified health risks and related corrective measures, and any administrative or civil penalties, professional disciplinary actions, or criminal convictions incurred by the facility or an affiliated physician. The act directs the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners to provide to the department any of its information that the department does not have but is required to make available. The department must maintain a toll-free telephone number for information on an abortion facility, and each facility must provide to a woman at initial consultation a written statement giving the toll-free number. The act establishes the language of the statement and provides that it be made available in both English and Spanish. The department must inspect each abortion facility before renewing the facility's annual license. The act provides for the assignment to each facility of a unique license number to be included in certain communications that advertise the facility's services.