Title HS, Health and Safety Code

Sec. 552.013. SUPPORT OF INDIGENT AND NONINDIGENT PATIENTS. (a) A person may not be denied services under this subtitle because of an inability to pay for the services. (b) The state shall support, maintain, and treat indigent and nonindigent patients at the expense of the state.…

Sec. 552.014. CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS FOR BENEFIT OF PATIENT. (a) Child support payments for the benefit of a patient paid or owed by a parent under court order are considered the property and estate of the patient, and the state may be reimbursed for the costs of a patient's supp…

Sec. 552.015. INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE MEANS OF SUPPORT. (a) The department may demand and conduct an investigation in a county court to determine whether a patient possesses or is entitled to property or whether a person other than the patient is liable for the payment of the …

Sec. 552.016. FEES. (a) Except as provided by this section, the department may not charge a fee that exceeds the cost to the state to support, maintain, and treat a patient. (b) The executive commissioner may use the projected cost of providing inpatient services to establish by …

Sec. 552.017. SLIDING FEE SCHEDULE. (a) The executive commissioner by rule shall establish a sliding fee schedule for the payment by the patient's parents of the state's total costs for the support, maintenance, and treatment of a patient younger than 18 years of age. (b) The exe…

Sec. 552.018. TRUST PRINCIPALS. (a) If a patient is the beneficiary of a trust that has an aggregate principal of $250,000 or less, the corpus or income of the trust is not considered to be the property of the patient or the patient's estate and is not liable for the patient's su…

Sec. 552.019. FILING OF CLAIMS. (a) A county or district attorney shall, on the written request of the department, represent the state in filing a claim in probate court or a petition in a court of competent jurisdiction to require the person responsible for a patient to appear i…

Sec. 552.020. APPLICATION. Except as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 73, Education Code, this subchapter does not apply to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 3, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES OF …

Sec. 552.051. REPORTS OF ILLEGAL DRUG USE; POLICY. The executive commissioner shall adopt a policy requiring a state hospital employee who knows or reasonably suspects that another state hospital employee is illegally using or under the influence of a controlled substance, as def…

Sec. 552.052. STATE HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE TRAINING. (a) Before a state hospital employee begins to perform the employee's duties without direct supervision, the department shall provide the employee with competency training and a course of instruction about the general duties of a st…

Sec. 552.053. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, REPORTING, AND TRACKING SYSTEM. The department shall develop an information management, reporting, and tracking system for each state hospital to provide the department with information necessary to monitor serious allegations of abuse, negle…

Sec. 552.054. RISK ASSESSMENT PROTOCOLS. The department shall develop risk assessment protocols for state hospital employees for use in identifying and assessing possible instances of abuse or neglect. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 395 (S.B. 152), Sec. 3, eff. June 14,…

Sec. 552.101. ASSISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WITH CERTAIN INVESTIGATIONS. The inspector general shall employ and commission peace officers for the purpose of assisting a state or local law enforcement agency in the investigation of an alleged criminal offense involving a pati…

Sec. 552.102. SUMMARY REPORT. (a) The inspector general shall prepare a summary report for each investigation conducted with the assistance of the inspector general under this subchapter. The inspector general shall ensure that the report does not contain personally identifiable …

Sec. 552.103. ANNUAL STATUS REPORT. (a) The inspector general shall prepare an annual status report of the inspector general's activities under this subchapter. The annual report may not contain personally identifiable information of an individual mentioned in the report. (b) The…

Sec. 552.104. RETALIATION PROHIBITED. The department or a state hospital may not retaliate against a department employee, a state hospital employee, or any other person who in good faith cooperates with the inspector general under this subchapter. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R…

Sec. 552.151. TRANSITION PLANNING FOR CONTRACTED OPERATIONS OF A CERTAIN STATE HOSPITAL. The commission shall establish a plan under which the commission may contract with a local public institution of higher education to transfer the operations of Austin State Hospital from the …

Sec. 552.152. PLAN REQUIREMENTS. (a) In developing the plan, the commission shall: (1) consult with local public institutions of higher education; (2) establish procedures and policies to ensure that a local public institution of higher education that contracts with the commissio…

Sec. 552.153. REPORT. Not later than September 1, 2020, the commission shall prepare and deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislature a written report containing the plan and any recommendations for legislation…

Sec. 552.154. STATE HOSPITAL SUPERINTENDENT. The executive commissioner by rule shall require each state hospital to employ a superintendent. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 214 (H.B. 913), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025. SUBCHAPTER F. RIGHT TO ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER VISITS

Sec. 552.201. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "essential caregiver" means a family member, friend, guardian, or other individual a patient, patient's guardian, or patient's legally authorized representative selects for in-person visits. Added by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1038 …

Sec. 552.202. PATIENT'S RIGHT TO ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER VISITS. (a) A patient, the patient's guardian, or the patient's legally authorized representative has the right to designate an essential caregiver with whom a state hospital may not prohibit in-person visitation. (b) If a pati…

Sec. 552.203. ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS. (a) Notwithstanding Section 552.202, the executive commissioner by rule shall develop guidelines to assist state hospitals in establishing essential caregiver visitation policies and procedures. The gui…

Sec. 552.204. REVOCATION OF ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER DESIGNATION. (a) A state hospital may revoke an individual's designation as an essential caregiver if the individual violates the hospital's policies, procedures, or safety protocols established under Section 552.203. (b) If a state…

Sec. 552.205. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER VISITS. (a) A state hospital may petition the commission to suspend in-person essential caregiver visits for not more than seven days if in-person visitation poses a serious community health risk. The commission may deny t…

Sec. 552.206. PROVISION OF NECESSARY PATIENT CARE BY ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER. This subchapter may not be construed as requiring an essential caregiver to provide necessary care to a patient, and a state hospital may not require an essential caregiver to provide the necessary care. Ad…