SRC-JXG S.B. 519 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 519
76R3290 CMR-FBy: Zaffirini
Health Services
3/5/1999
As Filed


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 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. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, 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.