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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to transferable physician orders for life-sustaining and |
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related treatment. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 166.002, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by adding Subdivision (16) to read as follows: |
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(16) "Transferable physician orders form" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 166.201. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 166, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 166.0075 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 166.0075. PERSON'S CHOICE. (a) A person may elect to |
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execute or have executed on the person's behalf under this chapter: |
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(1) a directive under Subchapter B; |
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(2) an out-of-hospital DNR order under Subchapter C; |
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(3) a medical power of attorney under Subchapter D; or |
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(4) a transferable physician orders form under |
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Subchapter E. |
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(b) As an alternative to or in addition to an advance |
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directive executed under this chapter, a person may elect to |
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execute or have executed on the person's behalf a transferable |
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physician orders form under Subchapter E for the provision or |
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withholding of life-sustaining and related treatment based on the |
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person's wishes. |
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SECTION 3. Section 166.008, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 166.008. CONFLICT BETWEEN ADVANCE DIRECTIVES AND |
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TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS. To the extent that a treatment |
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decision or an advance directive or transferable physician orders |
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form validly executed or issued under this chapter conflicts with |
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another treatment decision or an advance directive or transferable |
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physician orders form executed or issued under this chapter, the |
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treatment decision made or instrument executed later in time |
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controls. |
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SECTION 4. Chapter 166, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
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by adding Subchapter E to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER E. TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS |
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FOR LIFE-SUSTAINING AND RELATED TREATMENT |
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Sec. 166.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Advanced practice nurse" has the meaning assigned |
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by Section 301.152, Occupations Code. |
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(2) "Health care professional" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 166.081. |
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(3) "Health care provider" means a health care |
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provider as defined by Section 166.151. The term includes a health |
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care provider described by Section 166.004 and a health care |
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professional. |
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(4) "Minor" means an unmarried person younger than 18 |
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years of age who has not had the person's disabilities of minority |
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removed for general purposes. |
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(5) "Transferable physician orders form" means a |
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standardized form containing physician orders executed by a |
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physician or advanced practice nurse and by the patient who is the |
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subject of the orders or another person described by Section |
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166.202(b)(2) that instructs health care providers regarding the |
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provision or withholding of life-sustaining and related treatment |
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to a patient in accordance with the patient's advance directive or |
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wishes as determined through conversation with the patient, the |
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person described by Section 166.206 if the patient is a minor, or a |
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representative authorized to make health care decisions for the |
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patient. |
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Sec.166.202.TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS. (a)Physician |
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orders for the provision or withholding of life-sustaining and |
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related treatment in accordance with the patient's wishes may be |
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entered on a transferable physician orders form that complies with |
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this subchapter. |
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(b) To be valid, a transferable physician orders form under |
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this subchapter must be executed by: |
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(1) a physician or advanced practice nurse who has |
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personally examined the patient; and |
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(2) the patient who is the subject of the transferable |
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physician orders, the person described by Section 166.206 if the |
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patient is a minor, or a representative authorized to make health |
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care decisions for the patient. |
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(c) A transferable physician orders form is effective on |
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execution. |
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(d) A facility that is a health care provider shall keep an |
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executed transferable physician orders form as the first page in |
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the patient's medical record and send the form with the patient if |
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the patient is transferred to another facility. |
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Sec. 166.203. FORM OF TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS. (a) |
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Transferable physician orders must be contained in the standard |
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written form specified by rule. The Department of State Health |
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Services and the Department of Aging and Disability Services shall |
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develop the form. |
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(b) The standard form must be a one-page document that is |
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printed on bright pink paper in a format that makes the document |
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readily identifiable as a transferable physician orders form. The |
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form must be designed to provide information regarding |
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life-sustaining and related treatment of a patient in accordance |
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with the patient's wishes as evidenced by the patient's advance |
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directive or as expressed orally by the patient or the patient's |
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parent, legal guardian, or representative authorized to make health |
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care decisions for the patient. |
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(c) The form must include: |
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(1) the physician's orders, including the basis of the |
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orders, regarding: |
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(A) cardiopulmonary resuscitation; |
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(B) the level of medical intervention in the |
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event of a medical emergency, including the use of artificial life |
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support but excluding medical interventions or procedures to |
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provide comfort or alleviate a patient's pain; |
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(C) the use of antibiotics; and |
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(D) the use of medically administered fluids and |
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nutrition; |
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(2) a place for the signature of the physician or |
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advanced practice nurse; |
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(3) a statement indicating whether the patient has |
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executed an advance directive or has a representative authorized to |
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make health care decisions for the patient; |
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(4) a place for the signature of the patient, the |
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person described by Section 166.206 if the patient is a minor, or a |
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representative authorized to make health care decisions for the |
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patient; |
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(5) a statement acknowledging agreement with the |
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orders of the physician that appears directly above the signature |
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line required by Subdivision (4); and |
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(6) the date, location, and outcome of any review of |
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the form by: |
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(A) the patient, the person described by Section |
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166.206 if the patient is a minor, or a representative authorized to |
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make health care decisions for the patient; or |
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(B) the treating physician or a facility's |
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medical review or ethics committee. |
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Sec. 166.204. DUTY OF FACILITIES FOLLOWING PATIENT |
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TRANSFER. If a patient with a transferable physician orders form is |
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transferred from one health care provider that is a facility to |
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another facility, the transferring facility shall communicate the |
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existence of the transferable physician orders form to the |
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receiving facility before the transfer occurs. The transferable |
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physician orders form must accompany the patient to the receiving |
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facility, and the form remains in effect following the transfer. |
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The form must be placed as the first page in the patient's medical |
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records, and the receiving facility and the health care |
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professionals at the facility shall honor the transferable |
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physician orders as provided by this subchapter until the document |
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becomes invalid. |
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Sec. 166.205. PATIENT DESIRE SUPERSEDES TRANSFERABLE |
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PHYSICIAN ORDERS. The desire of a patient, including a patient who |
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is a minor, supersedes the effect of transferable physician orders |
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when the desire is communicated to a health care provider. |
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Sec. 166.206. TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS FORM PREPARED |
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FOR MINOR PATIENT. The following persons may execute a |
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transferable physician orders form on behalf of a patient who is a |
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minor: |
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(1) the patient's parents; or |
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(2) the patient's legal guardian. |
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Sec. 166.207. DURATION OF TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS |
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FORM. A transferable physician orders form remains in effect until |
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the document is replaced or the document otherwise becomes invalid. |
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Sec. 166.208. LIMITATION ON CIVIL OR CRIMINAL LIABILITY. A |
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health care provider or an employee of a health care provider is not |
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subject to criminal or civil liability for good faith compliance |
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with or reliance on the physician orders in a transferable |
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physician orders form. |
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Sec. 166.209. HONORING TRANSFERABLE PHYSICIAN ORDERS DOES |
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NOT CONSTITUTE OFFENSE OF AIDING SUICIDE. A person does not commit |
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an offense under Section 22.08, Penal Code, by withholding |
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life-sustaining or related treatment from a person in accordance |
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with transferable physician orders executed under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 166.210. PREGNANT PATIENTS. A person may not withhold |
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life-sustaining treatment under transferable physician orders |
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executed under this subchapter from a patient known by the person to |
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be pregnant. |
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Sec. 166.211. MERCY KILLING NOT CONDONED. This subchapter |
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does not condone, authorize, or approve mercy killing or permit an |
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affirmative or deliberate act or omission to end life except to |
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permit the natural process of dying as provided by this subchapter. |
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Sec. 166.212. RULES. The executive commissioner of the |
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Health and Human Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to |
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implement and administer this subchapter. |
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SECTION 5. (a) Not later than January 1, 2008, the |
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Department of State Health Services and the Department of Aging and |
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Disability Services shall develop the transferable physician |
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orders form required by Subchapter E, Chapter 166, Health and |
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Safety Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than May 1, 2008, the executive commissioner |
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of the Health and Human Services Commission shall adopt the rules |
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necessary to implement Subchapter E, Chapter 166, Health and Safety |
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Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 6. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of |
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this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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(b) Sections 166.202 and 166.204, Health and Safety Code, as |
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added by this Act, take effect May 1, 2008. |
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