Relating to the disclosure of health care cost information by certain health care facilities; imposing an administrative penalty, the official text

S.B. No. 331

AN ACT

relating to the disclosure of health care cost information by

certain health care facilities; imposing an administrative

penalty.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 327.001(7), Health and Safety Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(7) "Facility" means:

(A) a hospital, including:

(i) a general hospital;

(ii) a special hospital;

(iii) a mental hospital;

(iv) a hospital that operates a crisis

stabilization unit;

(v) a limited services rural hospital; or

(vi) a hospital operating under a

certificate of public advantage under Chapter 314 or 314A;

(B) an abortion facility;

(C) an ambulatory surgical center;

(D) a birthing center;

(E) a chemical dependency treatment facility;

(F) an end stage renal disease facility;

(G) a freestanding emergency medical care

facility;

(H) a narcotic drug treatment program; or

(I) a special care facility [licensed under

Chapter 241].

SECTION 2. Chapter 327, Health and Safety Code, is amended

by adding Section 327.0015 to read as follows:

Sec. 327.0015. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to

a facility with a total gross revenue of $10 million or more.

SECTION 3. Sections 327.008(a) and (c), Health and Safety

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The commission may impose an administrative penalty on a

facility [in accordance with Chapter 241] if the facility fails to:

(1) respond to the commission's request to submit a

corrective action plan; or

(2) comply with the requirements of a corrective

action plan submitted to the commission.

(c) For a facility with one of the following total gross

revenues [as reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services or to another entity designated by commission rule in the

year preceding the year in which a penalty is imposed], the penalty

imposed by the commission may not exceed:

(1) [$10 for each day the facility violated this

chapter, if the facility's total gross revenue is less than

$10,000,000;

[(2)] $100 for each violation of [day the facility

violated] this chapter, if the facility's total gross revenue is

$10,000,000 or more and less than $100,000,000; and

(2) [(3)] $1,000 for each day the facility violated

this chapter, if the facility's total gross revenue is $100,000,000

or more.

SECTION 4. A health care facility required to disclose

billing information as a result of the amendment to Chapter 327,

Health and Safety Code, by this Act is not required to disclose

information in accordance with that chapter until August 31, 2029.

SECTION 5. Section 327.008, Health and Safety Code, as

amended by this Act, applies only to a violation that occurs on or

after the effective date of this Act. A violation that occurs

before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it

existed on the date the violation occurred, and that law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

______________________________
______________________________

President of the Senate
Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 331 passed the Senate on

April 22, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0;

May 29, 2025, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and

requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 30, 2025, House

granted request of the Senate; May 31, 2025, Senate adopted

Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 31,

Nays 0.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 331 passed the House, with

amendments, on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 133,

Nays 4, two present not voting; May 30, 2025, House granted request

of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;

May 31, 2025, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the

following vote: Yeas 128, Nays 0, two present not voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

______________________________

Date

______________________________

Governor