TITLE 25.HEALTH SERVICES

Part 1. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Chapter 29. PURCHASED HEALTH SERVICES

Subchapter J. AMBULANCE SERVICES

25 TAC §29.903

Subject to the approval of the State Medicaid Director, the Texas Department of Health (department) proposes an amendment to §29.903 concerning authorized ambulance services for nonemergency transport.

The department has determined the need to amend the rule to comply with Human Resource Code ?§32.024 as amended by Senate Bill 374, 76th Legislative Session, 1999, which will allow non-emergency ambulance services to be immediately granted upon receipt of a Texas Department of Health approved request for authorization signed by a physician.

Joe Moritz, Health Care Financing Budget Director, has determined that for each year of the first five years the section is in effect, there will be fiscal implications as a result of enforcing or administering the section as proposed. The impact on state government is a projected additional state cost of $2,078,423 for Fiscal Year 2001, and $2,081,899 for Fiscal Year 2002, $2,081,899 for Fiscal Year 2003, $2,081,899 for Fiscal Year 2004, and $2,081,899 for Fiscal Year 2005, with an associated increase in the federal Medicaid matching funds received by the state. The amendment does have foreseeable implications relating to cost or revenues of local governments. It is anticipated that the amendment will result in increased expenditures paid to ambulance companies.

Mr. Moritz has also determined that for each of the first five years the section is in effect, the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing the section will be to provide increased access for Texas Medical Assistance Program recipients to nonemergency ambulance transportation services. There will be no effect on small business or micro-businesses to comply with this section as proposed. This was determined by interpretation of the rule that small businesses and micro-businesses will not be required to alter their business practices in order to comply with the rule as proposed. There are no anticipated economic costs to persons who are required to comply with the section as proposed. There will be no impact on local employment.

A public hearing on the proposed amendments will be held at 9:00 a.m. on July 10, 2000, in the Public Hearing Room, Texas Department of Health, 12555 Riata Vista Circle, Austin, Texas, to accept comments on the proposal.

Comments on the proposed amendments may be submitted to Kathy Will, Program Specialist, Policy Initiatives, Texas Department of Health, Mail Code Y-927, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas, 78756-3199, within 30 days of publication in the Texas Register . In order to comply with federal regulations, a copy of this proposal is being sent to each field office of the Texas Department of Human Services where it will be available for public review upon request for a period of 30 days.

The amendment is proposed under the Human Resources Code, §32.021 and the Texas Government Code, §531.021, which provide the Health and Human Services Commission with the authority to adopt rules to administer the state's medical assistance program. Rules are submitted by the Texas Department of Health under its agreement with the Health and Human Services Commission to operate the purchased health services program as authorized by Acts of the 72nd Legislature, First Called Session, Chapter 15, §1.07, (1991).

The proposed amendment affects Chapter 32 of the Human Resources Code and Chapter 531 of the Government Code.

§29.903.Authorized Ambulance Services.

These requirements are in addition to the requirements as stated in §29.1 of this title (relating to Claim Information Requirements), and §29.902 of this title (relating to Additional Claim Information Requirements).

(1)

(No change.)

(2)

Nonemergency Ambulance Transportation. The department or its designee reimburses a Medicaid-enrolled provider for the nonemergency transportation of a Medicaid recipient under the following conditions:

(A)

(No change.)

(B)

the severely disabled recipient can not be transported by any means other than an ambulance without endangering the health or safety of the recipient; and

(C)

the nonemergency ambulance transportation of the severely disabled Medicaid recipient is to or from a scheduled medical appointment and authorization has been received from the department or its designee.

(i)

The [ the ] prior authorization for nonemergency ambulance transportation will be based upon the following:

(I)

the recipient's medical needs and disability; and

(II)

duration of time if regular transportation will be required as a result of the recipient's medical needs and disability.

(ii)

The [ the ] prior authorization request must be approved or denied by the department or its designee not later than 48 hours after receipt of a request unless clause (iii) of this subparagraph applies .

(iii)

A request for authorization must be immediately granted and must be effective for a period of 180 days from the date of issuance if the request includes a written statement from a physician that:

(I)

states that alternative means of transporting the recipient are contraindicated;

(II)

is dated not earlier than the 60th day before the date on which the request for authorization is made; and

(III)

is submitted on the Texas Department of Health approved Physician Certification Form.

(3) - (4)

(No change.)

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on June 12, 2000.

TRD-200004098

Susan K. Steeg

General Counsel

Texas Department of Health

Earliest possible date of adoption: July 23, 2000

For further information, please call: (512) 458-7236


Chapter 33. EARLY AND PERIODIC SCREENING, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT

Subject to the approval of the State Medicaid Director, the Texas Department of Health (department) proposes amendments to §§33.134, 33.301 and 33.316 concerning the accompaniment by a parent, guardian or authorized adult at THSteps/EPSDT medical and dental checkups for children who are younger than age 15. The EPSDT program is also known as Texas Health Steps. Specifically the sections cover the primary responsibilities of EPSDT medical and dental screening providers and standards of care.

The amendment to §33.134(a)(2) corrects grammar concerning conjunctions.

The amendment to §33.134(a)(3) clarifies to whom medical screening providers can interpret medical screening results.

The other amendments to §§33.134, 33.301 and 33.316 implement Acts 1999, 76th Legislature, Chapter 766 (House Bill 1285), which amends the Human Resources Code, §32.024(s). The amendments add as a condition for eligibility for provider reimbursement the accompaniment of a parent, guardian, or other authorized adult at EPSDT well-child (medical) and dental checkups of children who are younger than age 15.

The amendments to §§33.134(a)(5), 33.301 and 33.316 do not apply to services provided by a school health clinic, Head Start program, or child-care facility if these facilities or programs (1) obtain written consent to the services from the child's parent or guardian within the one-year period preceding the date on which the services are provided, and that consent has not been revoked; and (2) encourage parental involvement in and management of the health care of children receiving services from the clinic, program, or facility.

These rules do not conflict with or supersede the Family Code, Chapters 151, 153, and 32 relating to who may consent for medical and dental services for a child.

Roy Middleton, Director, Division of Financial Management, Associateship for Community Health and Resources Development, has determined that, for the first five years the amended sections are in effect, there will no fiscal implications to state or local governments as a result of enforcing or administering the proposed amendments.

Margaret Drummond-Borg, M.D. , Director, Genetic Screening and Case Management Division, has determined that for the first five years the amended sections are in effect, the anticipated benefit is an increase of parental involvement in and management of the health care of EPSDT children. There will be no adverse economic effect on small businesses or micro businesses. This was determined by assessing any new demand for additional services that were not previously required and for which no additional reimbursement was provided. It was determined that no additional services are being required and there is no economic impact of this policy change. There are no anticipated economic costs to persons who are required to comply with the amendments as proposed. There is no anticipated impact on local employment.

Comments on the proposed rules may be sent to Rosemary G. Morris, MSW, Bureau of Children's Health, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756, 512/458-7745. Comments will be accepted for 30 days following publication of this proposal in the Texas Register .

Subchapter E. MEDICAL PHASE

25 TAC §33.134

The amendment is proposed under the Human Resources Code, §32.024(s) which allows the department to establish rules governing the EPSDT program; the Human Resources Code, §32.021 and the Government Code, §531.021, which provides the Health and Human Services Commission with the authority to administer the state's medical assistance program and are submitted by the department under its agreement with the Health and Human Services Commission to operate the purchased health services program as authorized under Acts 1991, 72nd Legislature, First Called Session, Chapter 15, §1.07.

The amendment affects the Human Resources Code, Chapter 32.

§33.134.Primary Responsibilities of Medical Screening Providers.

(a)

The primary responsibilities of medical screening providers are:

(1)

to conduct medical screening according to policies and procedures established by the Texas Department of Health;

(2)

to provide clinic surroundings which will establish a good relationship between clinic personnel , [ and ] the recipient , and the [ his ] recipient's family;

(3)

to interpret medical screening results to the recipient or the recipient's parent, conservator, or responsible adult, and/or recipient during the exit interview;

(4)

to make referrals for needed follow-up diagnosis and treatment services ; and

(5)

to ensure a parent, guardian or authorized adult presents a recipient under age 15 at an EPSDT medical checkup and continues to wait for the child while the checkup takes place unless:

(A)

the services are provided by a school health clinic, Head Start program, or child-care facility (as defined in the Human Resources Code, §42.002(3));

(B)

written consent to the services, which has not been revoked, was provided by the child's parent or guardian within the one-year period prior to the date the services are provided; and

(C)

the provider encourages parental involvement in and management of the health care of the children receiving services from the clinic, program, or facility.

(b)

The term "authorized adult" means a person, including an adult related to the child, who is authorized by a child's parent or guardian to accompany a child to a Texas Health Steps medical checkup.

(c)

The term "parental involvement" means encouraging the accompaniment by a parent or guardian of a child at an EPSDT medical checkup by notifying the parent of the appointment date in writing at least one week in advance of the scheduled appointment and providing the parent the option to attend the appointment.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on June 8, 2000.

TRD-200004060

Susan K. Steeg

General Counsel

Texas Department of Health

Earliest possible date of adoption: July 23, 2000

For further information, please call: (512) 458-7236


Subchapter G. DENTAL SERVICES

25 TAC §33.301, §33.316

The amendments are proposed under the Human Resources Code, §32.024(s) which allows the department to establish rules governing the EPSDT program; the Human Resources Code, §32.021 and the Government Code, §531.021, which provides the Health and Human Services Commission with the authority to administer the state's medical assistance program and are submitted by the department under its agreement with the Health and Human Services Commission to operate the purchased health services program as authorized under Acts 1991, 72nd Legislature, First Called Session, Chapter 15, §1.07.

The amendments affect the Human Resources Code, Chapter 32.

§33.301.Definitions

The following words and terms when used in Subchapters F, G and H of this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1)

Accompanied - A parent, guardian or authorized adult presents a recipient under age 15 at an EPSDT dental checkup and continues to wait for the child while the checkup takes place.

(2)

Authorized adult - A person, including an adult related to the child, who is authorized by a child's parent or guardian to accompany a child to a Texas Health Steps dental checkup.

(3)

[ (1) ] Department--The Texas Department of Health.

(4)

[ (2) ] Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT)-A component of the Medicaid program, also known as Texas Health Steps (THSteps), which provides medical check-up and dental services to Medicaid and Texas Health Steps clients under age 21 years.

(5)

[ (3) ] HHSC--Health and Human Services Commission.

(6)

[ (4) ] Manual--The Texas Medicaid Provider Procedures Manual, including all updates published in the Texas Medicaid Bulletin.

(7)

[ (5) ] Medicaid--A medical and dental program provided under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act and the Human Resources Code, Chapter 32.

(8)

[ (6) ] OIE--The Office of Investigations and Enforcement at the Health and Human Services Commission.

(9)

Parental involvement - Encourages the accompaniment by a parent or guardian of a child at an EPSDT dental checkup by notifying the parent of the appointment date in writing and at least one week in advance of the scheduled appointment and providing the parent the option to attend the appointment.

(10)

[ (7) ] Recipient--A Medicaid-enrolled client.

(11)

[ (8) ] SBDE--State Board of Dental Examiners.

§33.316.Standards of Care.

(a)

Texas Health Steps recipients or their parents or guardians who can give informed consent shall:

(1)

receive information following an oral evaluation regarding:

(A)

the dental diagnosis;

(B)

scope of proposed treatment, including alternatives and risks;

(C)

anticipated results;

(D)

need for administration of sedation or anesthesia, including risks; and

(2)

receive a full explanation of the treatment plan and give informed consent prior to its implementation.

(b)

Texas Health Steps recipients shall:

(1)

receive dental services specified in the treatment plan which meet the standards of care established by the laws relating to the practice of dentistry and the rules and regulations of the SBDE;

(2)

receive dental services free from abuse or harm from the provider or the provider's staff; and

(3)

receive only that treatment required to address documented medical necessity and which meets professionally recognized standards of health care as recognized by the SBDE.

(c)

A Texas Health Steps dental provider shall require that a recipient be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or authorized adult at a Texas Health Steps dental appointment if the recipient is younger than 15 years of age unless:

(1)

the services are provided by a school health clinic, Head Start program, or child care facility (as defined in the Human Resources Code, §42.002(3));

(2)

written consent to the services, which has not been revoked, was provided by the child's parent or guardian within the one-year period prior to the date the services are provided; and

(3)

the provider encourages parental involvement in and management of the oral health care of the children receiving services from the clinic, program, or facility.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on June 8, 2000.

TRD-200004061

Susan K. Steeg

General Counsel

Texas Department of Health

Earliest possible date of adoption: July 23, 2000

For further information, please call: (512) 458-7236


Chapter 97. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Subchapter A. CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

25 TAC §§97.1 - 97.4, 97.6 - 97.8, 97.10 - 97.11, 97.13

The Texas Department of Health (department) proposes amendments to §§97.1-97.4, 97.6-97.8, 97.10-97.11, and 97.13 concerning reporting requirements for infectious diseases. The proposed amendments involve minor revisions in the content of the sections. The proposed sections will enable the reporting sources to more clearly identify the conditions and diseases that must be reported, define the minimal reportable information on these conditions and diseases, and describe the procedures for reporting to the local health authority or the department. Amendments to §§97.1, 97.2, 97.7, 97.8, 97.10, 97.11, and 97.13 involve minor editorial changes and the change of the term "reportable disease" to "notifiable condition". Substantive changes occur in §§97.3, 97.4, and 97.6.

Specifically, the amendments to §§97.3, 97.4, and 97.6 add to or change the rules concerning the following diseases: anthrax, chickenpox, cholera, cyclosporiasis, Escherichia coli infection, hepatitis, Q fever, smallpox, tularemia, and Vibrio infection. Proposed amendments to §97.3 add cyclosporiasis, Q fever, smallpox, and tularemia to the notifiable condition list. Cyclosporiasis has been added because there have been large Cyclospora outbreaks in recent years associated with imported berries. Although previously removed from the notifiable condition list because of low (or no) incidence, Q fever, smallpox, and tularemia have been added because of their possible use in acts of bioterrorism. The proposed change to hepatitis C reporting reflects the fact that the majority of hepatitis C infections are asymptomatic. Also proposed is an expansion to the types of Escherichia coli that are notifiable. The proposed rule recognizes the fact that O157:H is not the only enterohemorrhagic subtype of concern. It is proposed that cholera be removed as a separate disease and grouped with all Vibrio infections. In order to simplify reporting, invasive streptococcal disease is proposed to be limited to groups A and B. Also proposed in §97.3 (and §97.6) is the move of chicken pox from notifiable by number and age group only to fully notifiable. This would allow for the investigation of chicken pox as any other vaccine preventable disease. Proposed amendments to §97.4 add anthrax and smallpox to the list of public health emergencies immediately notifiable to the department because of their potential for use in acts of bioterrorism. Also proposed is the addition of brucellosis, hepatitis A (acute), Q fever, tularemia, and Vibrio infection to the list of diseases notifiable within one working day. The proposed move for brucellosis, Q fever, and tularemia is due to their potential use as agents of bioterrorism. It is proposed that hepatitis A (acute) be moved because of the potential for meaningful public health response in an outbreak situation. The proposed move of Vibrio infections to notifiable in one day would allow compliance with Food and Drug Administration guidelines for investigation of illnesses potentially due to the consumption of molluscan shellfish.

Kate Hendricks, M.D., M.P.H. & T.M., Director, Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, has determined that, because the expected incidence of the four diseases being added to the notifiable condition list is extremely low, for the first five year period the sections are in effect there will be no fiscal implications for state and local government as a result of enforcing or administering the sections.

Dr. Hendricks has also determined that for each year of the first five years the sections are in effect the public benefit anticipated as a result of enforcing the sections will be improved reporting of these diseases, leading to better and more timely treatment of these serious health conditions. In addition, improved reporting of these diseases will produce data which will be more uniform, accurate, reliable, and complete and will enable improved planning for and targeting of disease prevention activities and the provision of clinical and social services. Because the proposed changes do not involve major adaptation from current practice, there is no anticipated additional cost to small businesses or microbusinesses nor to persons who may be required to comply with the sections as proposed. There is no anticipated effect on local employment.

Comments on the proposal may be submitted to Kate Hendricks, M.D., Director, Infectious Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas, 78756, (512) 458-7676, kate.hendricks@tdh.state.tx.us. Comments will be accepted for 30 days after publication in the Texas Register .

The amendments are proposed under the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act, Health and Safety Code, §81.004, which provides the Board of Health with the authority to adopt rules concerning communicable diseases; §81.041 which requires the board to identify reportable diseases; §81.044 which requires the board to prescribe the form and method of reporting communicable diseases; and §12.001, which provides the Texas Board of Health with the authority to adopt rules for the performance of every duty imposed by law on the Texas Board of Health, the Texas Department of Health, and the Commissioner of Health.

The amendments affect Health and Safety Code Chapter 81

§97.1.Definitions.

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1)

(No change.)

(2)

Carrier - An infected person or animal that harbors a specific infectious agent in the absence of discernible clinical disease and serves as a potential source or reservoir of [ for the ] infection [ of man ].

(3) - (7)

(No change.)

(8)

Disinfection - Destruction of infectious agents outside the body directly applied by chemical or physical means [ directly applied ].

(9)

Enterococcus Species - Any Enterococcus bacteria isolated in a laboratory.

(10)

[ (9) ] Epidemic [ or outbreak ] - The occurrence in a community or region of a group of illnesses of similar nature, clearly in excess of normal expectancy, and derived from a common or a propagated source.

(11)

[ (10) ] Exposure--A situation or circumstance in which there is significant risk of becoming infected with the etiologic agent for the disease involved.

(12)

[ (11) ] Health authority - A physician designated to administer state and local laws relating to public health under the Local Public Health Reorganization Act, Health and Safety Code, Chapter 121. The health authority, for purposes of these sections, may be:

(A)

a local health authority:

(i)

director of a local health department; or

(ii)

physician as appointed by the Commissioner of Health if there is no director of a local health department.

(B)

a regional director of the Texas Department of Health if no physician has been appointed by the Commissioner of Health as a local health authority.

(13)

[ (12) ] Hospital laboratory - Any laboratory that performs laboratory test procedures for a patient of a hospital either as a part of the hospital or through contract with the hospital.

(14)

Notifiable condition - Any disease or condition that is required to be reported under the Act or by these sections. See §97.3 of this title (relating to What Condition To Report and What Isolates To Report or Submit). Any outbreak, exotic disease, or unusual group expression of illness which may be of public health concern, whether or not the disease involved is listed in §97.3 of this title, shall be considered a "notifiable condition".

(15)

[ (13) ] Outbreak - See definition of epidemic in this section.

(16)

[ (14) ] Penicillin resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae - Streptococcus pneumoniae with a penicillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 µg/mL or greater (high level), and/or [ and ] an intermediate level resistance of 0.1- 1 µg/mL.

(17)

[ (15) ] Physician - A person licensed by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners to practice medicine in Texas.

(18)

[ (16) ] Regional director - The physician who is the chief administrative officer of a region as designated by the department under the Local Public Health Reorganization Act, Health and Safety Code, Chapter 121.

(19)

[ (17) ] Report - Information that is required to be provided to the department.

(20)

[ (18) ] Report of a disease - The notification to the appropriate authority of the occurrence of a specific communicable disease in man or animals, including all information required by the procedures established by the department.

(21)

School Administrator - The city or county superintendant of schools or the principal of any school not under the jurisdiction of a city or county board of education.

[ (19)

Reportable disease - Any disease or condition that is required to be reported under the Act or by these sections. See §97.3 of this title (relating to What Condition To Report and What Isolates To Report or Submit). Any outbreak, exotic disease, or unusual group expression of illness which may be of public health concern, whether or not the disease involved is listed in §97.3 of this title, shall be considered a "reportable disease." ]

(22)

[ (20) ] Significant risk - A determination relating to a human exposure to an etiologic agent for a particular disease, based on reasonable medical judgements given the state of medical knowledge, relating to the following:

(A)

nature of the risk (how the disease is transmitted);

(B)

duration of the risk (how long an infected person may be infectious);

(C)

severity of the risk (what is the potential harm to others); and

(D)

probability the disease will be transmitted and will cause varying degrees of harm.

[ (21)

School administrator - The city or county superintendent of schools, or the principal of any school not under the jurisdiction of a city or county board of education. ]

(23)

[ (22) ] Specimen Submission Form G-1 - A multipurpose laboratory specimen submission form available from the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas, 78756-3199.

(24)

[ (23) ] Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus species - Enterococcus species with a vancomycin MIC greater than 16 micrograms per milliliter (µg/mL) or a disk diffusion zone of 14 millimeters or less. Vancomycin intermediate Enterococcus ( e.g. [ eg ], Enterococcus casseliflavis and Enterococcus gallinarum ) with a vancomycin MIC of 8 µg/mL - 16 µg/mL do not need to be reported.

(25)

[ (24) ] Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus species - [ For the purposes of reporting, ] Staphylococcus aureus or a coagulase negative Staphylococcus species with a vancomycin MIC of 8 µg/mL or greater.

§97.2.Who Shall Report

(a)

A physician, dentist, veterinarian, chiropractor, of other person permitted by law to attend a pregnant woman during gestation or at the delivery of an infant shall report, as required by these sections, each patient or animal he or she shall examine and who has or is suspected of having any notifiable condition [ reportable disease or health condition ], and shall report any outbreak, exotic disease, or unusual group expression of illness of any kind whether or not the disease is known to be communicable or reportable. An employee from the clinic or office staff may be designated to serve as the reporting officer. A physician, dentist, veterinarian, or chiropractor who can assure that a designated or appointed person from the clinic or office is regularly reporting every occurrence of these diseases or health conditions in their clinic or office does not have to submit a duplicate report.

(b)

The chief administrative officer of a hospital shall appoint one reporting officer who shall be responsible for reporting each patient who is medically attended at the facility and who has or is suspected of having any notifiable condition. [ reportable disease or health condition. ] Hospital laboratories may report through the reporting officer or independently in accordance with the hospital's policies and procedures.

(c)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person who is in charge of a clinical laboratory, blood bank, mobile unit, or other facility in which a laboratory examination of any specimen derived from a human body yields microscopic, bacteriologic, virologic, parasitologic, [ culture, ] serologic, or other evidence of a notifiable condition, [ reportable disease, health condition, ] or bacterial organism shall report as required by this section.

(d)

School authorities, including a superintendent, principal, teacher, school health official, or counselor of a public or private school and the administrator or health official of a public or private institution of higher learning should report as required by these sections those students attending school who are suspected of having a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ]. School administrators who are not medical directors meeting the criteria described in §97.132 of this title (relating to Who Shall Report Sexually Transmitted Diseases) [ authorities ] are exempt from reporting sexually transmitted diseases. [ diseases, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, in accordance with §97.132(5) (relating to Who Shall Report Sexually Transmitted Diseases.) ]

(e)

Any person having knowledge that a person is suspected of having a notifiable condition [ reportable disease or health condition ] should notify the local health authority or the department and provide all information known to them concerning the illness and physical condition of such person or persons.

(f)

Sexually transmitted diseases including HIV and AIDS shall be reported in accordance with §97.132 of this title.

(g)

Failure to report a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] is a Class B misdemeanor under the Texas Health and Safety Code, §81.049.

§97.3.What Condition To Report and What Isolates To Report or Submit

(a)

Identification of notifiable [ reportable ] conditions.

(1)

The most current edition of the Texas Department of Health's (department) publication titled "Identification, Confirmation, and Reporting of Notifiable Conditions" should [ Texas Department of Health's (department) publication titled Identification and Confirmation of Reportable Diseases is a guideline to ] be used to determine when a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] shall be reported under these sections based on a specific diagnosis, test procedure, and/or confirmatory test. Copies are available upon request to the Materials Acquisition and Management Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756. Copies are filed in the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756 and are available for public inspection during regular working hours.

(2)

Repetitive test results from the same patient do not need to be reported except those for mycobacterial infections.

(b)

Notifiable [ Reportable ] conditions or isolates.

(1)

Confirmed and suspected human cases of the following diseases /infections are reportable: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); amebiasis; anthrax; botulism-adult and infant; brucellosis; campylobacteriosis; chancroid; chickenpox (varicella) ; Chlamydia trachomatis infection; [ cholera; ] Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD); cryptosporidiosis; cyclosporiasis; dengue; diphtheria; ehrlichiosis; encephalitis (specify etiology); Escherichia coli , enterohemorrhagic [ O157:H7 ] infection; gonorrhea; Hansen's disease (leprosy); Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, invasive; hantavirus infection; hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS); hepatitis A, B, D, E, and unspecified (acute); hepatitis C (newly diagnosed infection, effective 1/1/00); [ hepatitis, acute viral (specify type); ] hepatitis B, (chronic) identified prenatally or at delivery as described in §97.135 of this title (relating to Serologic Testing during Pregnancy and Delivery; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; legionellosis; listeriosis; Lyme disease; malaria; measles (rubeola); meningitis (specify type); meningococcal infection, invasive; mumps; pertussis; plague; poliomyelitis, acute paralytic; Q fever; rabies in man; relapsing fever; rubella (including congenital); salmonellosis, including typhoid fever; shigellosis; smallpox; spotted fever group rickettsioses (such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever); streptococcal disease, invasive (group A or B) ; syphilis; tetanus; trichinosis; tuberculosis; tularemia; typhus; Vibrio infection , including cholera ( specify species); viral hemorrhagic fevers; yellow fever; and yersiniosis.

(2) - (3)

(No change.)

(c)

Minimal reportable information requirements. The minimal information that shall be reported for each disease is as follows:

[ (1)

for chickenpox-numeric totals by age group; ]

(1)

[ (2) ] AIDS, chancroid, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, gonorrhea, HIV infection, and syphilis shall be reported in accordance with §§97.132-97.135 of this title (relating to Sexually Transmitted Diseases, including AIDS and HIV infection);

(2)

[ (3) ] for tuberculosis - name, present address, present telephone number, age, date of birth, sex, race and ethnicity, physician, disease, type of diagnosis, date of onset, antibiotic susceptibility results, initial antibiotic therapy, and any change in antibiotic therapy;

(3)

[ (4) ] for hepatitis B, (chronic and acute) identified prenatally or at delivery - name, present address, present telephone number, age, date of birth, sex, race and ethnicity, estimated delivery date (for prenatal diagnoses), name of baby and location of delivery (for diagnoses made at delivery), physician or other person in attendance, disease, type of diagnosis, date of onset, address, telephone number;

(4)

[ (5) ] for all other notifiable [ reportable ] conditions listed in subsection (b)(1) of this section -name, present address, present telephone number, age, date of birth, sex, race and ethnicity, physician, disease, type of diagnosis, date of onset, address, and telephone number;

(5)

[ (6) ] for all isolates of Enterococcus species and all isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae regardless of resistance patterns - numeric totals at least quarterly; and

(6)

[ (7) ] for vancomycin resistant Enterococcus species; penicillin resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae ; vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; vancomycin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus species, - name, city of submitter, date of birth or age, sex, anatomic site of culture, and date of culture.

(d)

(No change.)

§97.4.When To Report a Condition or Isolate; When To Submit an Isolate

(a)

The following notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] are public health emergencies and suspect cases shall be reported immediately by phone to the local health authority or the regional director of the Texas Department of Health (department): anthrax; botulism, foodborne; [ cholera; ] diphtheria; Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, invasive; measles (rubeola); meningococcal infection, invasive; pertussis; poliomyelitis, acute paralytic; plague; rabies in man; smallpox; viral hemorrhagic fevers; yellow fever. Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus species shall be reported immediately by phone [ or fax ] to the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, Texas Department of Health, Austin at (800) 252-8239 .

(b)

The following notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] shall be reported within one working day of identification as a suspected case: brucellosis, hepatitis A (acute), Q fever, rubella (including congenital) , tularemia, tuberculosis, and Vibrio infection (including cholera). [ and tuberculosis disease. ]

(c) - (d)

(No change.)

(e)

For all other notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] not listed in subsections (a)-(c) of this section, reports of disease shall be made no later than one week after a case or suspected case is identified.

(f)

For Enterococcus species; vancomycin resistant Enterococcus species; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; and penicillin-resistant [ penicillin - resistant ] Streptococcus pneumoniae - reports shall be made no later than the last working day of March, June, September, and December.

(g)

(No change.)

§97.6.Reporting and Other Duties of Local Health Authorities and Regional Directors

(a)

(No change.)

(b)

Those notifiable [ reportable ] conditions identified as public health emergencies in §97.4(a) of this title (relating to When to Report a Condition or Isolate; When to Submit an Isolate) shall be reported immediately to the department by telephone.

(c)

(No change.)

(d)

For notifiable conditions not listed in subsection (c) of this section, the [ The ] local health authority or the department's regional director shall collect reports of disease and transmit the following information at weekly intervals as directed by the department: name, city, age, date of birth, sex, race and ethnicity, physician, disease, type of diagnosis, date of onset, address, and telephone number.

[ (1)

for chickenpox - numerical totals by age group; and ]

[ (2)

for reportable diseases not listed in subsection (c) or (d)(1) of this section - by name, city, age, date of birth, sex, race and ethnicity, physician, disease, type of diagnosis, date of onset, address, and telephone number. ]

(e) - (h)

(No change.)

§97.7.Diseases Requiring Exclusion from Child-care Facilities and Schools

(a)

The Texas Department of Health (department) publication titled "Recommendations for the Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases in a Group-Care Setting" [ "Communicable Disease Chart for Schools and Child Care Centers" ] may be used to determine the incubation period, early signs of illness, and prevention/treatment measures of communicable conditions. Copies are available from the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756 upon [ on ] request.

(b)

(No change.)

(c)

[ (b) ] The owner or operator of a child-care facility, or the school administrator, shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having a communicable disease designated by the commissioner of health (commissioner) as cause for exclusion until one of the criteria listed in subsection (d) [ (c) ] of this section is fulfilled.

(d)

[ (c) ] Any child excluded for reason of communicable disease may be readmitted, as determined by the health authority, by submitting:

(1)

a certificate of the attending physician attesting that the child does not currently have signs or symptoms of a communicable disease or to the disease's non-communicability in a child-care or school setting;

(2)

a permit for readmission issued by a local health authority; or

(3)

readmission criteria as established by the commissioner.

§97.8.General Control Measures for Notifiable Conditions [ Reportable Diseases ]

Except for diseases for which equivalent measures of investigation and control are specifically provided in other sections in this chapter, the commissioner of health (commissioner), a health authority, or a duly authorized representative of the commissioner or a health authority may proceed as follows.

(1) - (2)

(No change.)

(3)

Control techniques, including disinfection, environmental sanitation, immunization, chemoprophylaxis, isolation, preventive therapy, quarantine, education, prevention, and other accepted measures shall be instituted as necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality. In establishing quarantine or isolation, the health authority shall designate and define the limits of the areas in which the persons are quarantined or isolated. [ No person may be quarantined or isolated by a health authority without his or her consent unless the person is subject to court orders under the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act, Article 8. ]

(4) - (5)

(No change.)

§97.10.Confidential Nature of Case Reporting and Records

(a)

(No change.)

(b)

To implement disease control measures authorized in these sections, it may be necessary for the health authority or the department to investigate public or private health records including patient medical records pertinent to the notifiable condition [ reportable disease ]. On request, a person shall provide the department with records, data, and other information according to the written instruction of the department. The health authority and the department shall keep this information confidential.

(c)

(No change.)

§97.11.Notification of Emergency Medical Service Employee, Fire Fighter, or Peace Officer of Possible Exposure to a Disease

(a)

(No change.)

(b)

Disease and criteria which constitute exposure. The following diseases and conditions constitute a possible exposure to the disease for the purposes of the Act, §81.048:

(1)

(No change.)

(2)

Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, invasive; meningitis (specify type); meningococcal infections, invasive; mumps; poliomyelitis; [ psittacosis; ] Q fever (pneumonia); rabies; and rubella, if there has been an examination of the throat, oral or tracheal intubation or suctioning, or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation;

(3)

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); anthrax; brucellosis; dengue; ehrlichiosis; hepatitis, viral; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; malaria; plague; syphilis; tularemia; typhus; any viral hemorrhagic fever; and yellow fever, if there has been a needlestick or other penetrating puncture of the skin with a used needle or other contaminated item; [ or either ] a splatter or aerosol into the eye, nose, or mouth ; or any significant contamination of an open wound or non-intact skin with blood or body fluids; and

(4)

(No change.)

(c)

Notification processes. The following notification processes shall apply when possible exposures to notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] occur.

(1)

If the hospital has knowledge that, on admission to the hospital, the person transported has any of the notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] listed in subsection (b)(1) of this section, then notice of a possible exposure of an emergency medical service employee, peace officer, or fire fighter to the disease shall be given to the health authority for the jurisdiction where the hospital is located.

(2)

For possible exposures to any of the diseases listed in subsection (b)(2)-(4) of this section, the emergency medical service employee, peace officer, or fire fighter shall provide a medical professional at the hospital with notice, preferably written, of [ or ] the circumstances of the possible exposure. Once the hospital has knowledge of a possible exposure, then notice shall be given as follows.

(A) - (D)

(No change.)

(d)

(No change.)

§97.13.Mandatory Testing of Persons Suspected of Exposing Certain Other Persons to Notifiable Conditions [ Reportable Diseases ], and Workers' Compensation Issues Relevant to Postexposure Management of Emergency Responders

(a)

Purpose. The Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act, Health and Safety Code, §81.050, provides a mechanism by which an emergency medical service employee, paramedic, fire fighter, correctional officer, or law enforcement officer, who receives a bona fide exposure to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] in the course of employment or volunteer service may request the Texas Department of Health (department) or the department's designee to order testing of the person who may have exposed the worker.

(b)

Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following words and/or terms will have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(1) - (2)

(No change.)

(3)

Requestor--An emergency responder who presents a sworn affidavit to a health authority to request testing of a person who may have exposed him/her to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] in the course of his/her duties.

(4)

Source--The person who may have exposed an emergency responder to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] during the emergency responder's course of duties.

(c)

Diseases and criteria that constitute exposure. The notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] and the criteria that constitute exposure to such diseases are as outlined in §97.11(b)(1)-(4) of this title (relating to Notification of Emergency Medical Service Employee, Fire Fighter, or Peace Officer of Possible Exposure to a Disease).

(d)

The department's designee. For the purposes of implementing the Health and Safety Code, §81.050(d), (e), and (h), the following physicians have been delegated by the department to be the department's designee who will determine if a risk of exposure to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] has occurred:

(1)

the health authority for the jurisdiction in which the emergency responder is employed;

(A)

if the health authority does not choose to make a determination of the risk of exposure, a licensed physician employed by the local health department who has responsibility for the control of notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ] in the jurisdiction served by the health department; or

(B)

if the health authority does not choose to make a determination of the risk of exposure and there is not a separate physician employed by the county or municipal health department with responsibility for the control of notifiable condition [ reportable disease ], or for counties which do not have an appointed health authority, the regional director of the department of which the county or municipality is a part; and

(2)

(No change.)

(e)

Criteria under which a request for mandatory testing can be made. A request under this section may be made only if the emergency responder:

(1)

(No change.)

(2)

believes that the exposure places him or her at risk of a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ]; and

(3)

(No change.)

(f)

Initial actions required of the department's designee. Upon receiving a request for mandatory testing in accordance with subsection (e) of this section, the department's designee shall:

(1)

review the emergency responder's request and inform him or her whether the request meets the criteria establishing risk of infection with a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ];

(2)

determine which diagnostic tests may be indicated to verify exposure to certain notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ];

(3)

give the source who is subject to the order prompt and confidential written notice of the order which must include the following items:

(A)

(No change.)

(B)

a referral to appropriate health care facilities where the source can be tested for certain notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ];

(C) - (D)

(No change.)

(4)

(No change.)

(g)

(No change.)

(h)

Court proceedings. The district court proceedings include:

(1) - (2)

(No change.)

(3)

at the conclusion of the hearing, taking appropriate action being either:

(A)

an order requiring counseling and testing of the person for certain notifiable conditions [ reportable diseases ]; or

(B)

(No change.)

(4)

(No change.)

(i)

Additional actions required of the department's designee. The department's designee shall be responsible for the following actions with respect to testing:

(1) - (2)

(No change.)

(3)

inform both the requestor and the source of the need for medical followup and counseling services in the event that the source is found to have a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ]; and

(4)

(No change.)

(j)

(No change.)

(k)

Workers' compensation issues. For the purposes of qualifying for workers' compensation or any other similar benefits for compensation, the following shall apply:

(1)

An emergency responder who claims a possible work-related exposure to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] must provide the employer with a sworn affidavit of the date and circumstances of the exposure and document that, not later than the tenth day after the date of the exposure, the emergency responder had a test result that indicated an absence of the notifiable condition [ reportable disease ].

(2)

An emergency responder exposed to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ] during the course of employment shall be entitled to the benefits described in the Texas Government Code, Chapter 607.

(3) - (5)

(No change.)

(l)

Testing of the exposed person. An emergency responder who may have been exposed to a notifiable condition [ reportable disease ], may not be required to be tested.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on June 9, 2000.

TRD-200004069

Susan K. Steeg

General Counsel

Texas Department of Health

Earliest possible date of adoption: July 23, 2000

For further information, please call: (512) 458-7236