The proposed bill, known as the Laura Avila Act, aims to enhance consumer awareness regarding medical procedures or treatments conducted outside the United States, particularly those advertised through social media platforms. It introduces Chapter 722 to the Business & Commerce Code, which mandates that social media platforms include a conspicuous warning in any paid advertisement promoting medical tourism. This warning must inform users that procedures conducted abroad may not adhere to U.S. safety standards and that complications could arise, making follow-up care difficult. Additionally, the bill establishes that violations of this warning requirement will be considered deceptive trade practices.

Furthermore, the bill adds Chapter 179 to the Health and Safety Code, which requires the Department of State Health Services to create a publicly accessible web page detailing the risks associated with medical tourism and to establish a medical tourism incident reporting database. This database will collect information on adverse incidents experienced by Texas residents who have undergone medical procedures abroad, allowing for voluntary reporting and the dissemination of aggregated data to inform the public about potential risks. The Department is tasked with promoting awareness of this database and ensuring that the information is regularly updated. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, with specific deadlines for the establishment of the web page and database.

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