1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to recommendations for hospitals relating to missing

 1-3     infants.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 241, Health and Safety

 1-6     Code, is amended by adding Section 241.0263 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 241.0263.  RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO MISSING INFANTS.

 1-8     (a)  The department shall recommend hospital security procedures

 1-9     to:

1-10                 (1)  reduce the likelihood of infant patient abduction;

1-11     and

1-12                 (2)  aid in the identification of missing infants.

1-13           (b)  In making recommendations, the department shall consider

1-14     hospital size and location and the number of births at a hospital.

1-15           (c)  The procedures recommended by the department under

1-16     Subsection (a)(1) may include:

1-17                 (1)  controlling access to newborn nurseries;

1-18                 (2)  expanding observation of newborn nurseries through

1-19     the use of video cameras; and

1-20                 (3)  requiring identification for hospital staff and

1-21     visitors as a condition of entrance to newborn nurseries.

1-22           (d)  The procedures recommended by the department under

1-23     Subsection (a)(2) may include:

1-24                 (1)  footprinting, photographing, or writing

 2-1     descriptions of infant patients at birth; and

 2-2                 (2)  obtaining umbilical cord blood samples for infant

 2-3     patients born at the hospital and storing the samples for genetic

 2-4     testing purposes.

 2-5           (e)  Each hospital licensed under this chapter shall consider

 2-6     implementing the procedures recommended under this section.

 2-7           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-8           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1798 was passed by the House on April

         18, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1798 was passed by the Senate on May

         12, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor