bill creating a cardiac arrest registry for Texans under 36

The text as introduced · 612 words

By: Cortez
H.B. No. 4590

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a cardiac arrest registry for information on the

incidence and causes of cardiac arrest among certain persons;

providing an administrative penalty.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 93A to read as follows:

CHAPTER 93A. CARDIAC ARREST REGISTRY

Sec. 93A.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Center" means The University of Texas

Southwestern Medical Center.

(2) "Physician" means an individual licensed to

practice medicine in this state.

(3) "Registry" means the cardiac arrest registry

established under this chapter.

Sec. 93A.002. ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF REGISTRY.

(a) The center shall establish and maintain a cardiac arrest

registry to collect and aggregate information on the incidence and

causes of cardiac arrest among individuals younger than 36 years of

age in this state.

(b) Not later than the 60th day following the date of death

of an individual younger than 36 years of age whose death is caused

by cardiac arrest, the primary physician who attends the

individual's death shall submit to the center for inclusion in the

registry information regarding the individual and the death. The

information must include:

(1) the age of the individual;

(2) the time and date of the individual's death;

(3) a description of the location where and the

circumstances under which the cardiac arrest occurred;

(4) a description of the activity in which the

individual was engaged at the time the cardiac arrest occurred;

(5) a statement on whether the individual was an

athlete and if an athlete, each sport the individual participated

in and the level at which the individual participated in each sport;

(6) if known by the physician or the individual's

family, a statement of whether the individual at any time tested

positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19); and

(7) any other information the center determines

appropriate.

Sec. 93A.003. PHYSICIAN ACCESS TO REGISTRY; ANNUAL REPORT.

(a) The center shall ensure that information maintained in the

registry is accessible to physicians who provide medical care to

student athletes participating in a sport at any level. The

information must be aggregated and machine-readable in a manner

that allows a physician described by this subsection to easily

navigate the information.

(b) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year,

the center shall prepare and submit to the legislature a written

report that summarizes the information submitted to the center for

inclusion in the registry during the preceding two years.

Sec. 93A.004. CONFIDENTIALITY. The center shall ensure

that information accessible to a physician or submitted to the

legislature under Section 93A.003 does not disclose an individual's

personally identifiable information or information that is

confidential under state or federal law.

Sec. 93A.005. ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY. (a) The Texas

Medical Board may assess an administrative penalty against a

physician who violates Section 93A.002. The administrative penalty

may not exceed $500 for each violation and shall be based on:

(1) the history of previous violations;

(2) the amount necessary to deter a future violation;

(3) the efforts to correct the violation; and

(4) any other matter that justice may require.

(b) The Texas Medical Board by rule shall establish a

procedure to collect the administrative penalty. A proceeding to

impose the administrative penalty is considered a contested case

under Chapter 2001, Government Code.

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

shall establish the cardiac arrest registry as required by Chapter

93A, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.