1-1 By: Carona S.B. No. 99 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed December 15, 1998; January 26, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health Services; 1-4 February 22, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; 1-6 February 22, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 99 By: Moncrief 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to testing for accidental exposure to hepatitis B or 1-11 hepatitis C. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 81, Health and Safety Code, 1-14 is amended by adding Section 81.095 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 81.095. TESTING FOR ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE. (a) In a 1-16 case of accidental exposure of a health care worker to blood or 1-17 other body fluids of a patient in a licensed hospital, the 1-18 hospital, following a report of the exposure incident, shall test 1-19 the patient for hepatitis B or hepatitis C without the patient's 1-20 specific consent to the test. 1-21 (b) The hospital shall have a policy concerning the 1-22 disclosure of the result of the testing as authorized or required 1-23 by law. 1-24 (c) The hospital shall abide by all patient confidentiality 1-25 standards as set out in Section 81.046. 1-26 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-27 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-28 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-29 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-30 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-31 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-32 * * * * *