TITLE: Relating to a requirement that certain hospitals prepare and publish a quarterly report on charity care provided by those hospitals.

SUMMARY: Relating to a requirement that certain hospitals prepare and publish a quarterly report on charity care provided by those hospitals.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to a requirement that certain hospitals prepare and publish a quarterly report on charity care provided by those hospitals. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 311, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 311.006 to read as follows: Sec. 311.006. PUBLIC REPORT OF CHARITY CARE. (a) In this section: (1) "Charity care," "financially indigent," and "medically indigent" have the meanings assigned by Section 311.031. (2) "Public hospital" means a hospital owned, operated, or leased by a governmental entity. (b) Not later than the 30th day after the last day of each calendar quarter, a public hospital shall prepare and post on the hospital's Internet website a report that contains, for the period covered by the report: (1) the number of financially indigent and medically indigent patients served by the hospital; and (2) the amount of money spent on charity care by the hospital. SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 311.006, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, a hospital to which that section applies is not required to prepare and post a report that covers a calendar quarter that begins before October 1, 2025. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.