Sec. 252.040.  INSPECTIONS.  (a)  The department or the department's designee may make any inspection, survey, or investigation that it considers necessary and may enter the premises of a facility 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 a facility 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 facility by a representative of the department in accordance with this chapter.
(d)  The department shall establish procedures to preserve all relevant evidence of conditions the department finds during an inspection, survey, or investigation that the department reasonably believes threaten the health and safety of a resident.  The procedures may include photography or photocopying of relevant documents, such as license holder's notes, 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)  A facility, an officer or employee of a facility, 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 department considers proper.
(i)  The department shall have specialized staff conduct inspections, surveys, or investigations of facilities under this section.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 693, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 160, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0784, eff. April 2, 2015.