HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE

TITLE 2. HEALTH

SUBTITLE D.  PREVENTION, CONTROL, AND REPORTS OF DISEASES; PUBLIC HEALTH DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES

CHAPTER 92. INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 92.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
(1)  "Injury" means damage to the body that results from intentional or unintentional acute exposure to thermal, mechanical, electrical, or chemical energy or from the absence of essentials such as heat or oxygen.
(2)  "Reportable injury" means an injury or condition required to be reported under this subchapter.
(3)  "Traumatic brain injury" means an acquired injury to the brain, including brain injuries caused by anoxia due to near drowning.  The term does not include brain dysfunction caused by congenital or degenerative disorders or birth trauma.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.001 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.001 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 893, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1088, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Sec. 92.002.  REPORTABLE INJURY; RULES.  (a)  Spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and submersion injuries are reportable to the department.  The executive commissioner by rule shall define those terms for reporting purposes.
(b)  The executive commissioner may adopt rules that require other injuries to be reported under this subchapter.
(c)  The executive commissioner shall maintain and revise, as necessary, the list of reportable injuries.
(d)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.002 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.002 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 893, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1088, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0314, eff. April 2, 2015.

Sec. 92.003.  REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.  (a)  The following persons shall report cases or suspected cases of reportable injuries to the department:
(1)  a physician who diagnoses or treats a reportable injury;  and
(2)  a medical examiner or justice of the peace.
(b)  The department may contact a physician attending a person with a case or suspected case of a reportable injury.
(c)  The department shall prescribe the form and method of reporting.  The department may require the reports to contain any information, including the person's name, address, age, sex, race, occupation, employer, and attending physician, necessary to achieve the purposes of this subchapter.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.003 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.003 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 893, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1088, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0315, eff. April 2, 2015.

Sec. 92.004.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT.  (a)  The department may enter into contracts or agreements as necessary to carry out this subchapter. The contracts or agreements may provide for payment by the state for materials, equipment, and services.
(b)  The department may seek, receive, and spend any funds received through appropriations, grants, donations, or contributions from public or private sources for the purpose of identifying, reporting, or preventing those injuries determined by the executive commissioner to be harmful or to be a threat to the public health.
(c)  Subject to the confidentiality provisions of this subchapter, the department shall evaluate the reports of injuries to establish the nature and magnitude of the hazards associated with those injuries, to reduce the occurrence of those risks, and to establish any trends involved.
(d)  The department may make inspections and investigations as authorized by this subchapter and other law.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.004 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.004 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1088, Sec. 6, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0316, eff. April 2, 2015.

Sec. 92.005.  ACCESS TO INFORMATION.  Subject to the confidentiality provisions of this subchapter, the department may collect, or cause to be collected, medical, demographic, or epidemiologic information from any medical or laboratory record or file to help the department in the epidemiologic investigation of injuries and their causes.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.005 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.005 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1088, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Sec. 92.006.  CONFIDENTIALITY.  (a)  All information and records relating to injuries are confidential, including information from injury investigations.  That information may not be released or made public on subpoena or otherwise, except that release may be made:
(1)  for statistical purposes, but only if a person is not identified;
(2)  with the consent of each person identified in the information released;  or
(3)  to medical personnel in a medical emergency to the extent necessary to protect the health or life of the named person.
(b)  The executive commissioner shall adopt rules establishing procedures to ensure that all information and records maintained by the department under this subchapter are kept confidential and protected from release to unauthorized persons.
(c)  The commissioner, the commissioner's designee, the executive commissioner, or an employee of the department or commission may not be examined in a judicial or other proceeding about the existence or contents of pertinent records of, investigation reports of, or reports or information about a person examined or treated for an injury without that person's consent.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.006 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.006 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1088, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0317, eff. April 2, 2015.

Sec. 92.007.  INVESTIGATIONS.  (a)  The department shall investigate the causes of injuries and methods of prevention.
(b)  The department may enter at reasonable times and inspect within reasonable limits a public place or building, including a public conveyance, in the department's duty to prevent an injury.
(c)  The department may not enter a private residence to conduct an investigation about the causes of injuries without first receiving permission from a lawful adult occupant of the residence.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.007 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.007 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0318, eff. April 2, 2015.

Sec. 92.009.  COORDINATION WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE.  The department and the Texas Department of Insurance shall enter into a memorandum of understanding which shall include the following:
(1)  the department and the Texas Department of Insurance shall exchange relevant injury data on an ongoing basis notwithstanding Section 92.006;
(2)  confidentiality of injury data provided to the department by the Texas Department of Insurance is governed by Subtitle A, Title 5, Labor Code;
(3)  confidentiality of injury data provided to the Texas Department of Insurance by the department is governed by Section 92.006; and
(4)  cooperation in conducting investigations of work-related injuries.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 41, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  Renumbered from Health & Safety Code Sec. 87.009 by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 17.01(18), eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Renumbered from Health and Safety Code Sec. 88.009 by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 31.01(53), eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 893, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 265 (H.B. 7), Sec. 6.101, eff. September 1, 2005.