House Committee on Public Health Bill Status as of 5/2/23

HB 49          Klick Engrossed bill is recommended for Senate local and uncontested calendar; Placed on Calendar. Relating to public access to certain hospital investigation information and materials. Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of public access to certain hospital inspection and investigation information due to certain unintended consequences of state legislation adopted in response to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. It has been suggested that this has resulted in consumers and families seeking to make decisions on hospital care becoming dependent on other sources, such as online reviews, which should not be the only guide for finding quality hospitals. H.B. 49 seeks to address these concerns by revising certain provisions that limit the public's ability to access certain hospital inspection and investigation information, while protecting the confidentiality of individually identifiable information concer