HBA-NMO H.B. 747 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 747 By: Gallego Public Health 7/7/99 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Medical peer review committees may evaluate the competence of a physician or the quality of medical and health care services afforded to patients. State law protects the minutes and journals of medical peer review committee hearings. However, in cases where the governing body of a public hospital, hospital district, or hospital authority conducts a meeting to evaluate the competence of a physician or the quality of medical and care services afforded to patients, the law, prior to the 76th Legislature, may not have clearly protected the minutes and journals of the meeting. H.B. 747 provides that the term "medical peer review committee" or "professional review body" includes the governing body of a public hospital, hospital authority, or hospital district, in relation to the body's evaluation of the competence of a physician or the quality of medical or health care services. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 1.03(a)(6), Article 4495b, V.T.C.S. (Medical Practice Act), to provide that the term "medical peer review committee" or "professional review body" includes the governing body of a public hospital owned or operated by a governmental entity, the governing body of a hospital authority created under Chapter 262 or 264, Health and Safety Code (Municipal Hospital Authorities and County Hospital Authorities, respectively), and the governing body of a hospital district created under Article IX, Texas Constitution (Counties), but only in relation to the governing body's evaluation of the competence of a physician or the quality of medical and health care services provided by the public hospital, hospital authority, or hospital district, to the extent that the evaluation involves discussions or records that could identify an individual patient or physician. SECTION 2.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.