(a) Procedures for inspection of public records will be in accordance with the Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, and as further described in this section.
(b) Long-Term Care-Regulatory, Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), is responsible for the maintenance and release of records on licensed facilities, and other related records.
(c) The application for inspection of public records is subject to the following criteria:
  (1) the application must be made to Long-Term Care-Regulatory, Texas Department of Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78751 or P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714-9030;
  (2) the requestor must identify himself;
  (3) the requestor must give reasonable prior notice of the time for inspection and/or copying of records;
  (4) the requestor must specify the records requested;
  (5) on written applications, if DHS unable to ascertain the records being requested, DHS may return the written application to the requestor for clarification; and
  (6) DHS will provide the requested records as soon as possible; however, if the records are in active use, or in storage, or time is needed for proper de-identification or preparation of the records for inspection, DHS will so advise the requestor and set an hour and date within a reasonable time when the records will be available.
(d) Original records may be inspected or copied, but in no instance will original records be removed from DHS offices.
(e) Records maintained by Long-Term Care-Regulatory are open to the public, with the following exceptions:
  (1) incomplete reports, audits, evaluations, and investigations made of, for, or by DHS are confidential;
  (2) all reports, records, and working papers used or developed by DHS in an investigation of reports of abuse and neglect are confidential, and may be released to the public as provided in §19.2010(a) of this title (relating to General Provisions);
  (3) all names and related personal, medical, or other identifying information about a resident are confidential;
  (4) information about any identifiable person that is defamatory or an invasion of privacy is confidential;
  (5) information identifying complainants or informants is confidential;
  (6) itineraries of surveys and inspections are confidential;
  (7) other information that is excepted from release by the Government Code, Chapter 552, is not available to the public; and
  (8) to implement this subsection, DHS may not alter or de-identify original records. Instead, DHS will make available for public review or release only a properly de-identified copy of the original record.
(f) Long-Term Care-Regulatory will charge for copies of records upon request.
  (1) If the requestor wants to inspect records, the requestor will specify the records to be inspected. DHS will make no charge for this service, unless the director of Long-Term Care-Regulatory determines a charge is appropriate based on the nature of the request.
  (2) If the requestor wants copies of a record, the requestor will specify in writing the records to be copied on an appropriate DHS form, and DHS will complete the form by specifying the charge for the records, which the requestor must pay in advance. Checks and other instruments of payment must be made payable to the Texas Department of Human Services.
  (3) Any expenses for standard-size copies incurred in the reproduction, preparation, or retrieval of records must be borne by the requestor on a cost basis in accordance with costs established by the State Purchasing and Texas Building and Procurement Commission or DHS for office machine copies.
  (4) For documents that are mailed, DHS will charge for the postage at the time it charges for the production. All applicable sales taxes will be added to the cost of copying records.
  (5) When a request involves more than one long-term care facility, each facility will be considered a separate request.

Source Note: The provisions of this §554.2011 adopted to be effective May 1, 1995, 20 TexReg 2393; amended to be effective June 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 3816; amended to be effective May 1, 2002, 27 TexReg 3207; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871