Tex. Health & Safety Code § 161.653 · Subchapter W. INFORMATION REGARDING DOWN SYNDROME
DUTY OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A health care provider who administers or causes to be administered a test for Down syndrome or who initially diagnoses a child with Down syndrome shall provide the information described by Section 161.652 to:
(1) expectant parents who receive a prenatal test result indicating a probability or diagnosis that the unborn child has Down syndrome; or
(2) a parent of a child who receives:
(A) a test result indicating a probability or diagnosis that the child has Down syndrome; or
(B) a diagnosis of Down syndrome.
(b) In addition to providing the information described by Subsection (a), a health care provider may provide additional information about Down syndrome that is current and evidence-based and has been reviewed by medical experts and national Down syndrome organizations.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, this section does not impose a standard of care or create an obligation or duty that provides a basis for a cause of action against a health care provider. A health care provider may not be held civilly or criminally liable for failing to provide information as required by Subsection (a).
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 811 (H.B. 3374), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/HS/htm/HS.161.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 4a978600f70a5b3f4094ef41f4cedccc9130b517a03dc53983beb598d2260714
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.