BILL ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 1486 By: Zaffirini Health and Human Services 03-30-95 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Current law does not require health care organizations to share information about immunizations, which can make determining whether a child has received required shots difficult. PURPOSE As proposed, C.S.S.B. 1486 requires the Texas Department of Health to establish and maintain an immunization tracking registry containing information on the immunization history of every person in this state who is under 18 years of age. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Board of Health under SECTION 1 (Section 161.007(e), Health and Safety Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 161A, Health and Safety Code, by adding Sections 161.007 and 161.008, as follows: Sec. 161.007. IMMUNIZATION TRACKING REGISTRY; REPORTS TO DEPARTMENT. (a) Requires the Texas Department of Health (department) to establish and maintain an immunization tracking registry (registry) for the state. (b) Requires the registry to contain information on the immunization history that is obtained by the department under this section of each person who is under 18 years of age. (c) Requires a health care provider who administers an immunization to a person under 18 years of age to submit a report to the department. (d) Requires an insurance company, health maintenance organization, and any other organization that pays or reimburses a claim for an immunization to a person under 18 years of age to provide immunization information to the department. (e) Requires the Texas Board of Health to adopt rules to administer this section. (f) Makes information obtained for the registry confidential. Sec. 161.008. IMMUNIZATION RECORD. (a) Makes an immunization record part of the registry. (b) Requires an immunization record to contain certain information. (c) Provides that the data constituting an immunization record is not subject to the provisions governing physician-patient communications in Section 5.08, Article 4495b, V.T.C.S. (Medical Practice Act) or the confidentiality provisions in Section 161.007. (d) Requires an immunization record to be accessible to the public in order to provide current information on the immunization status of a person under 18 years of age. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.