BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3366

By: Klick

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, certain orders regarding infectious diseases must be delivered to a person suspected or confirmed to have or to have been exposed to an infectious disease by registered or certified mail or in person. It has been suggested that this is an administrative burden and may needlessly expose other individuals to a potentially infected person. H.B. 3366 seeks to address these issues by providing for the electronic delivery of certain documents under the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3366 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize any documents required to be delivered in person or sent by registered or certified mail under the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act to be sent instead by email with a read receipt requested. The bill provides that, for purposes of provisions governing court orders for the management of persons with communicable diseases, an electronic signature or faxed signature have the same force and effect as the use of a manual signature.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.