Sec. 34.008.  OBTAINING DE-IDENTIFIED INFORMATION FOR REVIEW.  (a)  On selecting a case of pregnancy-related death or severe maternal morbidity for review, the department shall, in accordance with this section, obtain information relevant to the case to enable the review committee to review the case.  The department shall provide the information to the review committee.
(b)  The information provided to the review committee may not include identifying information of a patient or health care provider, including:
(1)  the name, address, or date of birth of the patient or a member of the patient's family; or
(2)  the name or specific location of a health care provider that treated the patient.
(c)  On the request of the department, a hospital, birthing center, or other custodian of the requested information shall provide the information to the department.  The information shall be provided without the authorization of the patient or, if the patient is deceased, without the authorization of the patient's family.
(c-1)  Not later than the 30th business day after receiving a request from the department for records regarding a pregnancy-related death for a specific patient, a hospital, birthing center, or other custodian of the records shall submit the records to the department.  A request made under this subsection to a hospital or birthing center must be limited to a patient's medical records.
(d)  A person who provides information to the department under this section is not subject to an administrative, civil, or criminal action for damages or other relief for providing the information.
Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 527 (S.B. 495), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.
Amended by: 
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 601 (S.B. 750), Sec. 10, eff. June 10, 2019.