Honorable Gary Elkins, Chair, House Committee On Technology
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB395 by Larson (Relating to the use by certain health care providers of electronically readable information from a driver's license or personal identification certificate.), As Introduced
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Transportation Code to authorize a health care provider to access, use, compile, or maintain a database of electronically readable information derived from certain driver’s licenses or personal identification certificates to provide health care services to an individual. A health care provider would be required to use an alternative method for collecting an individual’s information if the individual objects. Under current statute, only a hospital is authorized.
The bill would include the definition of a health care provider. A health care provider that violates the provisions would commit a Class A misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of not more than $4,000, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year, or both.
The Department of State Health Services reported there would be no fiscal impact to the agency.
Local Government Impact
There could be costs to a health care provider that would be required to obtain information by an alternate method if a person objects to the use of electronically readable information; however, those amounts would vary depending on the number of persons that would object, and the current processes that a health care provider uses to collect information.
Costs associated with enforcement, prosecution and confinement could likely be absorbed within existing resources; and revenue gain from fines imposed and collected is not anticipated to have a significant fiscal implication.
Source Agencies:
405 Department of Public Safety, 537 State Health Services, Department of