HB 1699

Bill Sets A Three-Day Delay For Cancer Results, With No Penalty

Companion SB 922 became law

Verdict: Smells

SmellsNeeds review

Rep. Caroline FairlyRHouse 87

Why it's charged

The hole

THE TEXT

…“administrative liability or professional disciplinary action for”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill gives record holders a three-day posting delay to follow, then shields everyone from any liability or discipline for ignoring it. In the main case, a portal that posts results right away faces no consequence.

The hole

Needs review · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the disclosure of certain medical information by electronic means.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Likely cancer findings wait until day three. Posted early anyway? No liability, no discipline.

The bill bars sensitive test results, meaning likely cancer findings on pathology or radiology reports and genetic test results, from being posted to a patient portal or health app until the third day after they are finalized. It touches physicians, patients, patient representatives, and whoever runs a patient's electronic health record. It also says no one faces civil, criminal, or administrative liability or professional discipline for failing to follow the delay, so the rule carries no penalty.

Labels

Labels: DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2643 by Rep. Price (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 3 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1699 · 2024-12-20

SOLD BY

Rep. Caroline FairlyRHouse 87

Rep. Ann JohnsonDHouse 134

Rep. James FrankRHouse 69

+ 2 more authors, 3 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the disclosure of certain medical information by electronic means.

WHAT IT DOES

Likely cancer findings wait until day three. Posted early anyway? No liability, no discipline.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

…“administrative liability or professional disciplinary action for”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 17, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Dec 20, 2024Filed
Mar 12, 2025Read first time
Mar 12, 2025Referred to Public Health
Mar 24, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 24, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 24, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Mar 24, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Mar 24, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 14, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 14, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 14, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 23, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 23, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 25, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 30, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 2, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 5, 2025Companion considered in lieu of SB 922
May 5, 2025Laid on the table subject to call

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Caroline Fairly

Donors

OccuNet LLC$30K Republican Party of Texas$16KDixon Gillis$15,626

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

OccuNet LLC$30,280.32

OccuNet LLC

$30,280.32

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $30,280.32
Total: $30,280.32

fundraiser $28,327.40Other filed descriptions $1,952.92

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 18, 2025 to Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 18, 2025 to Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101032922, 101061983, 101070115, 101072872.

Republican Party of Texas$16,250.00

Republican Party of Texas

$16,250.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $16,250.00
Total: $16,250.00

media $16,250.00

Also funds 12 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101072872.

Dixon Gillis$15,625.63

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

OccuNet LLC

$30,280.32

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $30,280.32
Total: $30,280.32

fundraiser $28,327.40Other filed descriptions $1,952.92

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 18, 2025 to Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 18, 2025 to Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101032922, 101061983, 101070115, 101072872.

Republican Party of Texas

$16,250.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $16,250.00
Total: $16,250.00

media $16,250.00

Also funds 12 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101072872.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses14

For: 11
Against: 2
On: 1

Names

For

Children's Hospital Association of Texas1 registration
Federation of Texas Psychiatry, Texas Dermatological Society, Texas Allergy, Asthsma and Immunology Society1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Texas Medical Association1 registration
Texas Academy of Family Physicians1 registration
Texas Chapter American College of Physicians1 registration
Texas e-Health Alliance1 registration
Texas Health Resources (THR)1 registration
Texas Hospital Association1 registration
Texas Pediatric Society1 registration
Texas Society of Pathologists1 registration

Against

Self2 registrations

On

Self1 registration

Sources

14 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 17, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2643

by Rep. Price, different lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 13, 2023: Referred to Public Health

Relating to the disclosure of certain medical information by electronic means.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Dec 20, 2024

05/05/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:41 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Salman BhojaniDHouse 92

Lulu FloresDHouse 51

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

House committee · Public Health · Committee vote 11 aye, 2 nay · Out of committee

Companion

SB 922 by Hancock (very similar)

Subjects

Electronic Information Systems

Health--Privacy/Use of Information

Occupational Regulation--Health Occupations

MEDICAL RECORDS

PHYSICIANS

Text

The text as introduced · 420 words

By: Fairly
H.B. No. 1699

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the disclosure of certain medical information by

electronic means.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 159.006(d), Occupations Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(d) A physician shall provide the information requested

under this section :

(1) not later than the 15th business day after the date

of receipt of the written consent for release under Subsection (a)

or the written request under Subsection (c) ; and

(2) in accordance with Section 159.0062(b), if

applicable .

SECTION 2. Chapter 159, Occupations Code, is amended by

adding Section 159.0062 to read as follows:

Sec. 159.0062. SENSITIVE TEST RESULTS DISCLOSED BY

ELECTRONIC MEANS. (a) In this section:

(1) "Electronic health record" has the meaning

assigned by Section 525.0201, Government Code.

(2) "Electronic means" means publishing information

on a secure electronic network or Internet website, including a

secure online patient portal or health software application:

(A) that is accessible by an electronic device,

including a computer, mobile device, or tablet; and

(B) through which the patient or patient

representative has consented to receive the patient 's billing or

medical records.

(3) "Patient representative" means a person described

by Sections 159.005(a)(2)-(4).

(4) "Sensitive test result" means a:

(A) pathology report or radiology report that has

a reasonable likelihood of showing a finding of malignancy; or

(B) test result that may reveal a genetic marker.

(b) Sensitive test results may not be disclosed to a patient

or patient representative by electronic means before the third day

after the date the sensitive test results are finalized.

(c) A person who administers or controls the electronic

health record of a patient is responsible for implementing

Subsection (b).

(d) A person is not subject to civil, criminal, or

administrative liability or professional disciplinary action for

failure to comply with Section 159.006(d)(2) or this section.

SECTION 3. Section 159.0062, Occupations Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to the disclosure of test results on or after

the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 4. Section 159.006, Occupations Code, as amended by

this Act, applies to a request for information under that section

made on or after the effective date of this Act. A request made

before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in

effect on the date the request was made, and the former law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.