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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to transfer of certain patients requesting |
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life-sustaining treatment. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 166.046(d), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(d) If the attending physician, the patient, or the person |
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responsible for the health care decisions of the individual does |
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not agree with the decision reached during the review process under |
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Subsection (b), the physician shall make a reasonable effort to |
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transfer the patient to a physician who is willing to comply with |
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the directive. To facilitate the transfer, the attending physician |
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may discuss facts contained in the patient's medical record with |
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another physician or a health care facility, but the physician may |
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not state the physician's opinion that life-sustaining treatment is |
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inappropriate. If the patient is a patient in a health care |
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facility, the facility's personnel shall assist the physician in |
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arranging the patient's transfer to: |
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(1) another physician; |
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(2) an alternative care setting within that facility; |
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or |
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(3) another facility. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |