SRC-JXG S.B. 519 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 519 By: Zaffirini Health Services 6/29/1999 Enrolled DIGEST Currently, Texas law requires the state to protect public health, and each person to act responsibly to prevent and control communicable disease. Infants born to mothers who are carriers of hepatitis B can be protected against infection. If the mother is a carrier of hepatitis B, immediate administration of a vaccine and special immune globulin can help protect the infant. S.B. 519 will require a physician or other person permitted by law to administer a standard serologic test for hepatitis B infection to a woman during gestation or at the delivery of an infant. PURPOSE As enrolled, S.B. 519 requires a physician or other person permitted by law to administer a standard serologic test for hepatitis B infection to a woman during gestation or at the delivery of an infant. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 81.090(a), (c), (k), (m), and (n), Health and Safety Code, to require a physician or other person permitted by law to attend a pregnant woman during gestation or at delivery of an infant to submit the sample to a laboratory approved under this section for a standard serologic test for hepatitis B infection approved by the Texas Board of Health (board). Requires a physician or other person in attendance at a delivery to take or to cause to be taken a sample of blood from the mother on admission for delivery, rather than from the umbilical cord of the infant within 24 hours of delivery; and submit the sample to a laboratory approved under this section for a standard serologic test for hepatitis B infection approved by the board. Requires the health care provider to distribute to the patient printed materials about AIDS, HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis. Requires a health care provider to verbally notify the patient that an HIV test shall be performed, if the patient does not object. Requires the physician or other person who submitted the sample for the test to provide or to make available to the woman disease-specific information on the disease diagnosed, if a screening test and a confirmatory test conducted under this section show that the woman is or may be infected with HIV, hepatitis B, or syphilis, including counseling under Section 81.109, if HIV infection or AIDS is diagnosed. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.