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Senate Bill 969 |
Senate Author: Kolkhorst |
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Effective: 9-1-21 |
House Sponsor: Klick |
Senate Bill 969 amends the Health and Safety Code to require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), during a public health disaster, to timely make available to the public on its website in an easy-to-read format all available de-identified public health data regarding the public health disaster and to develop a standardized method for reporting data and releasing reports during such a disaster or in response to other outbreaks of communicable disease. The bill authorizes DSHS to impose a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 on a health care facility for each failure to submit a report required under provisions relating to reports and reportable diseases and authorizes the attorney general to bring an action to recover the civil penalty. Implementation of a provision of this bill by DSHS is mandatory only if a specific appropriation is made for that purpose.