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                                  * * * * *