By: Van de Putte H.B. No. 1462 73R4963 JJT-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the disclosure of certain information about certain 1-3 patients of a physician. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 576.005, Health and Safety Code, is 1-6 amended to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 576.005. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS. (a) Records of a 1-8 mental health facility that directly or indirectly identify a 1-9 present, former, or proposed patient are confidential unless 1-10 disclosure is permitted by other state law. 1-11 (b) A treating physician exercising reasonable medical 1-12 judgment may disclose orally the name or other information by which 1-13 the identity of a patient under the physician's care may be 1-14 determined, either directly or by reference to other 1-15 nonconfidential information, to: 1-16 (1) a member of the patient's immediate family; or 1-17 (2) an individual who the physician knows has a close 1-18 personal relationship with the patient. 1-19 (c) A disclosure under Subsection (b) may not be made if 1-20 the patient gives contrary written instructions to the treating 1-21 physician. 1-22 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 1-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-3 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-4 passage, and it is so enacted.