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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the compilation and publication of information on |
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confirmed or probable cases of reportable diseases. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 81.047, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 81.047. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORTS; COMPILATION AND |
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PUBLICATION OF CERTAIN REPORT INFORMATION. (a) Subject to the |
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confidentiality requirements of this chapter, the department shall |
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require epidemiological reports of disease outbreaks and of |
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individual cases of disease suspected or known to be of importance |
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to the public health. The department shall evaluate the reports to |
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determine the trends involved and the nature and magnitude of the |
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hazards. |
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(b) Based on the information included in the |
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epidemiological reports required by Subsection (a), the department |
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shall compile, aggregate, and publish on the department's Internet |
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website information on the number of confirmed or probable cases of |
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each reportable disease included in the reports. The case |
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information must be: |
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(1) aggregated based on: |
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(A) the reportable disease; |
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(B) the date each case of a reportable disease is |
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reported to the department; and |
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(C) the probable source of infection for each |
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case of a reportable disease; and |
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(2) updated regularly as determined by the |
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commissioner. |
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(c) During a public health disaster or public health |
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emergency and based on the information included in the |
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epidemiological reports required by Subsection (a) for a reportable |
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disease related to the disaster or emergency, the department shall |
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compile, aggregate, and publish on the department's Internet |
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website information on the number of confirmed or probable cases of |
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the disease, including the number of deaths caused by or suspected |
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of being caused by the disease. The case information must be: |
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(1) aggregated based on: |
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(A) the date each case of the disease is reported |
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to the department; |
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(B) the probable source of infection for each |
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case of the disease; and |
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(C) the date of each death and total number of |
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deaths caused by or suspected of being caused by the disease; and |
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(2) updated daily. |
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(d) In publishing information required under this section, |
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the department may not disclose a patient's personally identifiable |
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information or information that is confidential under state or |
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federal law. |
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SECTION 2. Section 81.047, Health and Safety Code, as |
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amended by this Act, applies only to case information submitted on |
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or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |