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Senate Bill 495 |
Senate Author: Huffman et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-13 |
House Sponsor: Walle et al. |
Senate Bill 495 amends the Health and Safety Code to create the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force as a multidisciplinary advisory committee within the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The bill requires the task force to study and review cases of pregnancy-related deaths and trends in severe maternal morbidity, determine the feasibility of the task force studying cases of severe maternal morbidity, and make recommendations to help reduce the incidence of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity in Texas. The bill sets out provisions for the composition, operation, and administration of the task force and makes the task force subject to the Texas Sunset Act. The bill authorizes DSHS and the task force to consult with any relevant experts and stakeholders and, in gathering information, to consult with representatives of any relevant state professional associations and organizations. The bill authorizes DSHS on behalf of the task force to enter into agreements with institutions of higher education or other organizations.
Senate Bill 495 provides for the selection and review by the task force of cases of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity and for obtaining certain de-identified information relevant to a case under review. The bill provides for the confidentiality and privileged nature of information pertaining to a pregnancy-related death or severe maternal morbidity, specifies that such information or a task force work product is not subject to subpoena or discovery, and provides for the immunity of a task force member and certain persons who provide information, counsel, or services to the task force.
Senate Bill 495 authorizes DSHS to establish and maintain an electronic database to track cases of pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity and prohibits information in the database from including identifying information. The bill exempts the disclosure of records pertaining to voluntary or therapeutic termination of pregnancy and prohibits those records from being collected, maintained, or disclosed under the bill's provisions. The bill sets out reporting requirements for DSHS and the task force and grants DSHS access to certain information that may include the identity of a patient to fulfill its duties under the bill's provisions.