TITLE: Relating to a health care facility's policies regarding advance directives or health care or treatment decisions made by or on behalf of patients.

SUMMARY: Relating to a health care facility's policies regarding advance directives or health care or treatment decisions made by or on behalf of patients.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to a health care facility's policies regarding advance directives or health care or treatment decisions made by or on behalf of patients. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 166, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 166.0465 to read as follows: Sec. 166.0465. ETHICS OR MEDICAL COMMITTEE POLICIES ON CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION. Each health care facility that provides review by an ethics or medical committee under Section 166.046 shall adopt and implement a policy on: (1) preventing substantial financial and health care professional conflicts of interest that may arise during the review; and (2) prohibiting consideration of a patient's permanent physical or mental disability during the review unless the disability is relevant in determining whether a medical or surgical intervention is medically appropriate. SECTION 2. (a) A health care facility shall adopt the policy required by Section 166.0465, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, not later than April 1, 2020. (b) A policy adopted under Section 166.0465, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, applies only to an ethics or medical committee review conducted on or after April 1, 2020. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.