The proposed bill, S.B. No. 754, establishes new informed consent requirements for health care services in Texas, emphasizing the right of individuals to provide or withhold consent for such services. It introduces Chapter 174 to the Health and Safety Code, which defines key terms such as "health care facility," "health care practitioner," and "health care service," including the administration of vaccines. The bill prohibits coercion or compulsion of individuals into obtaining health care services against their preferences and mandates that informed consent must be obtained from the individual or an authorized representative before any health care service is provided.
Additionally, the bill outlines the consequences for violations, including civil liability for health care practitioners who fail to obtain informed consent, with damages set at a minimum of $5,000. It also allows the attorney general to seek injunctive relief against violators and specifies that individuals cannot face adverse actions for refusing health care services. The bill includes provisions for exemptions based on sincerely held religious beliefs or recognized medical conditions and states that it will apply only to health care services provided after its effective date.
Statutes affected: Introduced: ()