Certain public or nonprofit hospitals and hospital districts may obtain criminal history record information for specified people, must use a uniform method to collect it, and must keep it confidential.
Sec. 411.136. ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION: CERTAIN HOSPITALS AND HOSPITAL DISTRICTS. (a) In this section: (1) "Public hospital" means a hospital that is owned, operated, or leased by a county, municipality, or hospital authority. (2) "Nonprofit hospital" means a hospital that is exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, by being listed as an exempt entity under Section 501(c)(3) of that code. (b) A public or nonprofit hospital or hospital district is entitled to obtain from the department criminal history record information maintained by the department that relates to a person who is: (1) an applicant for employment or a volunteer position with the hospital or district; (2) an employee of or a volunteer with the hospital or district; (3) an applicant for employment with or an employee of a person or business that contracts with the hospital or district; or (4) a student enrolled in an educational program or course of study who is at the hospital or a hospital owned or operated by the district for educational purposes. (c) The public or nonprofit hospital or hospital district shall adopt a uniform method to obtain criminal history record information from persons described by Subsection (b). The hospital or district may require the complete name, driver's license number, or fingerprints of those persons. (d) The public or nonprofit hospital or hospital district may dismiss a person or deny a person employment or a volunteer position or refuse to allow a person to work in a hospital or district facility if: (1) the person fails or refuses to provide information described by Subsection (c); or (2) the person's criminal history record information reveals a conviction or deferred adjudication that renders the person unqualified or unsuitable for employment or a volunteer position or to be present at a hospital for educational purposes. (e) All criminal history record information received by a public or nonprofit hospital or hospital district under this section is privileged, confidential, and intended for the exclusive use of the entity that obtained the information. The hospital or district may not release or disclose criminal history record information to any person or agency except in a criminal proceeding, in a hearing conducted by the hospital or district, to another governmental entity as required by law, as required by court order, or with the consent of the person who is the subject of the criminal history record information. (f) The public or nonprofit hospital or hospital district shall develop procedures for the custody and use of information obtained under this section. After use of the information, the hospital or district administrator or the administrator's designee shall destroy the information in accordance with the hospital's or district's document destruction procedures. (g) A public or nonprofit hospital, a hospital district, a member of the governing board of the hospital or district, or an employee of a hospital or district is not civilly liable for failure to comply with this chapter if the hospital or district makes a good faith effort to comply. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 60, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 97, Sec. 1, eff. May 20, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1146 (H.B. 2730), Sec. 10.13, eff. June 19, 2009. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 266 (H.B. 729), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1155 (S.B. 2587), Sec. 16, eff. September 1, 2025.