Sec. 242.043.  INSPECTIONS.  (a)  The commission or the commission's representative may make any inspection, including an unannounced inspection or follow-up inspection,  survey, or investigation that it considers necessary and may enter the premises of an institution at reasonable times to make an inspection, survey, or investigation in accordance with department rules.
(b)  The department is entitled to access to books, records, and other documents maintained by or on behalf of an institution to the extent necessary to enforce this chapter and the rules adopted under this chapter.
(c)  A license holder or an applicant for a license is considered to have consented to entry and inspection of the institution by a representative of the department in accordance with this chapter.
(d)  The department shall establish procedures to preserve all relevant evidence of conditions found during an inspection, survey, or investigation that the department reasonably believes threaten the health and safety of a resident, including photography and photocopying of relevant documents, such as a license holder's notes, a physician's orders, and pharmacy records, for use in any legal proceeding.
(e)  When photographing a resident, the department:
(1)  shall respect the privacy of the resident to the greatest extent possible;  and
(2)  may not make public the identity of the resident.
(f)  An institution, an officer or employee of an institution, and a resident's attending physician are not civilly liable for surrendering confidential or private material under this section, including physician's orders, pharmacy records, notes and memoranda of a state office, and resident files.
(g)  The department shall establish in clear and concise language a form to summarize each inspection report and complaint investigation report.
(h)  The executive commissioner shall establish proper procedures to ensure that copies of all forms and reports under this section are made available to consumers, service recipients, and the relatives of service recipients as the executive commissioner considers proper.
Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0608, eff. April 2, 2015.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 803 (H.B. 1423), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.