| TO: | Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, House Committee on Public Health |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB156 by Huffman (Relating to health care data collected by the Department of State Health Services and access to certain confidential patient information within the department.), As Engrossed |
The bill would allow the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to disclose any data collected under the purview of the former Health Care Information Council and not included in public use data to any program within DSHS if it is reviewed and approved by the institutional review board. The bill would also allow DSHS to disclose this data to any health and human services agency as defined by Section 531.001(4), Government Code, provided that confidentiality at the receiving agency could be ensured. All data that is confidential remains subject to confidentiality provisions. Provision of data to programs within DSHS is exempted from certain other requirements; disclosure of physician identifying data is prohibited.
The bill would go into effect immediately if it received two-thirds vote in each house, otherwise it would take effect September 1, 2011.
According to DSHS, any cost to implement the provisions of the bill would be minimal and can be absorbed within existing resources.
| Source Agencies: | 529 Health and Human Services Commission, 537 State Health Services, Department of
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, VJC, CL, MB
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