Sec. 74.102. TEXAS MEDICAL DISCLOSURE PANEL. (a) The Texas Medical Disclosure Panel is created to determine which risks and hazards related to medical care and surgical procedures must be disclosed by health care providers or physicians to their patients or persons authorized to consent for their patients and to establish the general form and substance of such disclosure. (b) The disclosure panel established herein is administratively attached to the Health and Human Services Commission. The commission, at the request of the disclosure panel, shall provide administrative assistance to the panel; and the commission and the disclosure panel shall coordinate administrative responsibilities in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of facilities and services. The commission, at the request of the panel, shall submit the panel's budget request to the legislature. The panel shall be subject, except where inconsistent, to the rules and procedures of the commission; however, the duties and responsibilities of the panel as set forth in this chapter shall be exercised solely by the disclosure panel, and the executive commissioner of the commission or the commission shall have no authority or responsibility with respect to same. (c) The disclosure panel is composed of 13 members, with three members representing the public, at least one of whom has a background in health literacy, three members licensed to practice law in this state, at least one of whom has experience representing patients and at least one of whom has experience representing physicians or health care providers, and seven members licensed to practice medicine in this state. Members of the disclosure panel shall be selected by the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission. (d) At the expiration of the term of each member of the disclosure panel so appointed, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission shall select a successor, and such successor shall serve for a term of six years, or until that member's successor is selected. Any member who is absent for three consecutive meetings without the consent of a majority of the disclosure panel present at each such meeting may be removed by the executive commissioner at the request of the disclosure panel submitted in writing and signed by the chairman. Upon the death, resignation, or removal of any member, the executive commissioner shall fill the vacancy by selection for the unexpired portion of the term. (e) Members of the disclosure panel are not entitled to compensation for their services, but each panelist is entitled to reimbursement of any necessary expense incurred in the performance of his duties on the panel, including necessary travel expenses. (f) Meetings of the panel shall be held at the call of the chairman or on petition of at least three members of the panel. Notwithstanding Chapter 551 , Government Code, or any other law, if any member of the panel is physically present at a meeting, any number of the other members of the panel may attend the meeting by use of telephone conference call, videoconferencing, or other similar telecommunication method for purposes of establishing a quorum or voting or for any other meeting purpose allowing a panel member to fully participate in any panel meeting. This subsection applies without regard to the subject matter discussed or considered by the panel at the meeting. A meeting held by telephone conference call, videoconferencing, or other similar telecommunication method: (1) is subject to the notice requirements applicable to other meetings of the panel; (2) may not be held unless the notice of the meeting specifies the location of the meeting at which a member of the panel will be physically present; (3) must be open to the public and audible to the public at the location specified in the notice under Subdivision (2); and (4) must provide two-way audio communication between all panel members attending the meeting during the entire meeting, and, if the two-way audio communication link with any member attending the meeting is disrupted at any time, the meeting may not continue until the two-way audio communication link is reestablished. (f-1) The disclosure panel may not take any action requiring a vote of the panel unless a majority of the members appointed to serve on the panel as members licensed to practice medicine in this state are in attendance at the meeting when the vote is taken. (g) At the first meeting of the panel each year after its members assume their positions, the panelists shall select one of the panel members to serve as chairman and one of the panel members to serve as vice chairman, and each such officer shall serve for a term of one year. The chairman shall preside at meetings of the panel, and in his absence, the vice chairman shall preside. (h) Employees of the Health and Human Services Commission shall serve as the staff for the panel. (i) When appointing panel members representing the public, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission may not appoint a registered lobbyist, a health care provider or the spouse of a health care provider, or a person who works in any health care-related field, including health insurance. The executive commissioner shall give preference to persons with experience in advocating for the public interest.
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