TEXAS: House Bill 300 – Everything Is Bigger in Texas
Organizations in Texas that create, store, handle, transmit or have access to protected health information (PHI) need to be informed of TX House Bill 300.
Fewer things are as personal, private or important as medical records. Texas lawmakers were serious about protecting sensitive information when they passed TX H.B 300 in 2011. Lawmakers were concerned that the federal HIPAA did not go far enough to safeguard PHI in Texas. TX H.B 300 went into effect on September 1, 2012.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) was created to safeguard PHI. Covered entities and business associates that handle PHI are required by law to follow federal HIPAA regulations. If privacy and security rules are violated then the covered entity and/or business associate may be penalized. Depending on the violation, fines could be quite substantial.
Texas H.B. 300 goes above and beyond federal HIPAA regulations to keep PHI secure. This law serves to increase the number of covered entities that are required to be HIPAA compliant, expand compliance guidelines, and enhance enforcement for TX entities that are non-compliant.
As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas. If a TX organization is found to be non-compliant with HIPAA guidelines it could also be fined for TX H.B. 300 violations. HIPAA and TX H.B. 300 bundle
