THSA Highlights from Texas' 86th Legislative Session

George Gooch, CEO, THSA
May 28, 2019

Memorial Day marked the end of the Regular Session of the 86th Texas Legislature. Looking back, the past five months have been extremely eventful for the Texas Health Services Authority (THSA) and health information exchange (HIE) in Texas.

Most notably, the Legislature passed House Bill (H.B.) 3304, which extends the THSA’s statutory authority to implement statewide HIE through at least 2027, when the THSA will go through the Sunset review process again.

I am very pleased with the end result of this legislation. The State of Texas has a vested interest in continuing its oversight of the THSA, ensuring future plans are enacted that provide secure access to electronic health information in shelter environments during natural disasters. The legislation also ensures continuation of the state’s privacy and security certification program, known as SECURETexas.

The advances made over the past several months in Texas reflect the state’s confidence in the THSA and a commitment to maintaining the position in Texas as a leader in HIE and health IT. We could not be more pleased with the progress made possible not only by the actions of the Texas legislature but also because of the support of numerous provider groups and stakeholder organizations.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.