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.