| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a memorandum of understanding between certain |
|
|
authorized entities to share suicide data that does not identify |
|
|
any individual. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to encourage the |
|
|
prompt reporting of suicide data that does not identify a deceased |
|
|
individual or any other individual and to encourage use of the data |
|
|
for instructive and preventive purposes. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Chapter 193, Health and Safety Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Section 193.011 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 193.011. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON SUICIDE DATA. |
|
|
(a) In this section, "authorized entity" means a medical examiner, |
|
|
a local registrar, a local health authority, a local mental health |
|
|
authority, a community mental health center, a mental health center |
|
|
that acts as a collection agent for the suicide data reported by |
|
|
community mental health centers, or any other political subdivision |
|
|
of this state. |
|
|
(b) An authorized entity may enter into a memorandum of |
|
|
understanding with another authorized entity to share statistical |
|
|
suicide data that does not identify the deceased individual or any |
|
|
other individual. The shared data must include: |
|
|
(1) the deceased individual's age, race or national |
|
|
origin, gender, and zip code of residence; |
|
|
(2) any school or college the deceased individual was |
|
|
attending at the time of death; and |
|
|
(3) the suicide method used by the deceased |
|
|
individual. |
|
|
(c) The suicide data an authorized entity receives or |
|
|
provides under Subsection (b) is not confidential. |
|
|
(d) An authorized entity that receives suicide data under a |
|
|
memorandum of understanding authorized by this section may: |
|
|
(1) release to the public any data that does not |
|
|
identify a deceased individual or any other individual; |
|
|
(2) publish the data; or |
|
|
(3) post the data on an Internet website. |
|
|
(e) An authorized entity or an employee or agent of an |
|
|
authorized entity is not civilly or criminally liable for |
|
|
receiving, providing, or making public suicide data that does not |
|
|
identify a deceased individual or any other individual and that may |
|
|
be shared under a memorandum of understanding authorized by this |
|
|
section. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |