By Duncan S.B. No. 407
76R5492 SMH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to fees charged by a physician for providing a patient
1-3 with a copy of the patient's medical records.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 5.08(o), Medical Practice Act (Article
1-6 4495b, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
1-7 follows:
1-8 (o) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the
1-9 [The] physician may charge a reasonable fee for copying medical
1-10 records and is not required to permit examination or copying until
1-11 the fee is paid unless there is a medical emergency. The board by
1-12 rule shall prescribe what constitutes reasonable fees for purposes
1-13 of this subsection. The physician may not charge a patient a fee
1-14 for copying the patient's medical records if the number of pages
1-15 copied does not exceed 10 pages.
1-16 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
1-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-22 passage, and it is so enacted.