SB672 - Relating to a requirement that certain hospitals submit a summary of parts of their emergency operations plans to the Health and Human Services Commission.

      S.B. No. 672         AN ACT   relating to a requirement that certain hospitals submit a summary   of parts of their emergency operations plans to the Health and Human   Services Commission.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 311, Health and Safety   Code, is amended by adding Section 311.025 to read as follows:           Sec.   311.025.     SUMMARY OF CERTAIN PARTS OF EMERGENCY   OPERATIONS PLAN. (a)   In this section:                 (1)     "Commission" means the Health and Human Services   Commission.                 (2)     "Emergency operations plan" means a hospital's   process for temporarily routing patients in need of emergency   services to other hospitals or health facilities during a period   when:                         (A)     the hospital's capacity to provide emergency   services to those patients is significantly diminished; and                       (B)     the patients, if routed to the hospital,   would likely receive substantially delayed care resulting in worse   health outcomes than would otherwise occur were the patient routed   to another hospital or health facility.                 (3)     "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under Chapter   241.             (b)     This section applies only to a hospital that has an   emergency department or otherwise regularly provides emergency   services.             (c)     A hospital to which this section applies shall submit to   the commission a written summary of the part of the hospital's   emergency operations plan that addresses diversions from the   hospital's emergency department in the event that the hospital   experiences a cyber attack or an electrical power outage.             (d)     If a hospital to which this section applies makes   changes to the part of the plan described by Subsection (c), the   hospital shall update the previously submitted summary and submit   the updated summary to the commission not later than the 30th day   after the date the changes to the plan are adopted by the hospital's   governing body or otherwise approved by the appropriate hospital   administrator.             (e)     A summary submitted to the commission under this section   is confidential and excepted from public disclosure under Chapter   552, Government Code.          SECTION 2.  A hospital to which Section 311.025, Health and   Safety Code, as added by this Act, applies shall comply with the   requirements of that section not later than December 1, 2025.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.               ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                 I hereby certify that S.B. No. 672 passed the Senate on   May 9, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.       ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate                I hereby certify that S.B. No. 672 passed the House on   May 28, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 115, Nays 26, two   present not voting.       ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House            Approved:     ______________________________                Date       ______________________________              Governor