1-1     By:  Denny (Senate Sponsor - Carona)                  H.B. No. 1715
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 26, 1999;
 1-3     April 27, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human
 1-4     Services; May 6, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 6, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the phone number or address of a person making a report
 1-9     of abuse or neglect or a report of other conduct or conditions in a
1-10     convalescent or nursing home.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 242.123, Health and Safety Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
1-14           (c)  Except for an anonymous report under Section 242.124, a
1-15     report of abuse or neglect under Section 242.122 or of other
1-16     conduct or conditions  under Section 242.1225 should also include
1-17     the address or phone number of the person making the report so that
1-18     an investigator can contact the person for any necessary additional
1-19     information. The phone number and address as well as the name of
1-20     the person making the report must be deleted from any copy of any
1-21     type of report that is released to the public, to the institution,
1-22     or to an owner or agent of the institution.
1-23           SECTION 2.  Section 242.127, Health and Safety Code, is
1-24     amended to read as follows:
1-25           Sec. 242.127.  CONFIDENTIALITY.  A report, record, or working
1-26     paper used or developed in an investigation made under this
1-27     subchapter and the name, address, and phone number of any person
1-28     making a report under this subchapter are  confidential and may be
1-29     disclosed only for purposes consistent with the rules adopted by
1-30     the board or the designated agency.
1-31           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-32     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-33     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-34     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-35     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-36     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-37     passage, and it is so enacted.
1-38                                  * * * * *