SB1467

Regular Session

Relating to death records maintained by the vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services and provided to certain hospitals.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Department of State Health Services (DSHS)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025.
Compliance Deadline: Q1 Fiscal Year 2026. While the law is effective September 1, the Fiscal Note indicates DSHS will require time to hire compliance staff and modify the SHARP system before data transmission begins.
Agency Rulemaking: DSHS must establish the data transfer procedure by September 1, 2025.
*Regulatory Warning:* Section 2 of the bill allows DSHS to delay implementation indefinitely if they determine a federal waiver is required. Monitor the Texas Register closely for a waiver determination notice.

Immediate Action Plan

1. IT Assessment: Immediately assess your facility's current connectivity status with the DSHS SHARP system.
2. Legal Review: Draft a standard addendum for RCM vendor contracts to cover state vital statistics data handling.
3. Level I Facilities: Appoint a project lead to initiate the MOU process with DSHS in August 2025.
4. Non-Level I Facilities: Prepare a formal "Request for Access" letter to submit immediately upon the effective date to establish priority in the queue.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

State Agreements: Hospitals must execute Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs) with DSHS. Legal teams must prepare for non-negotiable state terms regarding data security and indemnification.
Vendor Amendments: Review Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) vendors. You must explicitly authorize them to ingest and process this specific state vital statistics feed.

Hiring/Training

IT Integration: IT departments must configure interfaces to receive data via the State Health Analytics and Reporting Platform (SHARP).
RCM Training: Billing staff require training on the new "Deceased Patient" flag workflow. They must verify data matches before halting billing to avoid false positives that could disrupt legitimate care or claims.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Audit Trails: You must maintain logs of all personnel who access the DSHS death record feed. The Fiscal Note confirms DSHS is hiring compliance analysts specifically to enforce these agreements.
Match Logic Documentation: Document the algorithm used to match DSHS data (Name, DOB, County) to internal Medical Record Numbers. Since Social Security Numbers are not statutorily required in the feed, your matching logic must be defensible against audits.

Fees & Costs

Internal IT Costs: Budget for internal IT hours to build the SHARP API integration.
Potential State Fees: While the Fiscal Note covers DSHS's setup costs, the statute does not explicitly prohibit DSHS from assessing administrative fees on hospitals for ongoing data access.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

"Available Resources" for Non-Trauma Hospitals: The law mandates access for Level I Trauma Facilities but makes access for all other hospitals subject to DSHS's "available resources." DSHS has not defined the threshold for "resources," meaning non-Level I hospitals may be waitlisted indefinitely.
Data Granularity & Identity Theft: The bill mandates providing Name, DOB, and County of Residence, but is silent on Social Security Numbers. Without SSNs, matching common names (e.g., "Maria Garcia" in Bexar County) creates high liability for false-positive identifications.
Federal Waiver Trigger: The "Section 2" provision is a kill switch. If DSHS decides federal permission is needed, the entire program pauses.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsHealth Health--general Hospitals Birth & Death Certificates Medicaid Vital Statistics & Records State Health Services, Department of

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1467
89R8555 EAS-D	By: Hinojosa, Juan "Chuy"
	Health & Human Services
	4/4/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Hospitals and doctors need to know when their patients pass away so they can keep their records correct and up to date. But sometimes, when a person dies outside of a hospital or clinic, their doctor or healthcare provider does not receive that information right away. This can create big problems.

A 2023 study from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) found that 20 percent of patients who were listed as "alive with a serious illness" in medical records were actually already deceased. This mistake can cause issues for families of deceased patients who might receive appointment reminders, medical bills, or other messages, which can be upsetting and frustrating. It can also lead to prescriptions still being filled for people who have passed away, leading to wasted medication and possible misuse. Hospitals not having complete and accurate data can make it harder for them to track patient outcomes and improve care. It also affects programs like Medicaid that reward hospitals for good care. Lastly, outdated information can create opportunities for identity fraud.

Currently, the Department of State Health Services collects and shares basic information about a deceased person with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Secretary of State's office to help keep records accurate. S.B. 1467 simply expands access of this data to hospitals so they can update their records, too.

As proposed, S.B. 1467 amends current law relating to death records maintained by the vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services and provided to certain hospitals.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety Code, by adding Section 191.012, as follows:

Sec. 191.012. DEATH INFORMATION PROVIDED TO CERTAIN HOSPITALS. (a) Requires the Department of State Health Services to implement an efficient and effective procedure to provide death information to a hospital licensed under Chapter 241 (Hospitals) to assist with the hospital's participation in the Medicaid managed care program operated under Chapter 540 (Medicaid Managed Care Program), Government Code.

(b) Requires that the procedure implemented under Subsection (a) at a minimum provide the following information for each deceased person for whom a death certificate is filed with a local registrar in this state: the county of residence of the deceased, the date of birth of the deceased, and the full name of the deceased.

SECTION 2. Requires a state agency, if necessary for implementation of a provision of this Act, to request a waiver or authorization from a federal agency, and authorizes a delay of implementation until such a waiver or authorization is granted.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Juan HinojosaDemocrat · Primary Author

House Sponsor

Rep. Tom OliversonRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 1467

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to death records maintained by the vital statistics unit
	of the Department of State Health Services and provided to certain
	hospitals.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 191, Health and Safety
	Code, is amended by adding Section 191.012 to read as follows:
	Sec. 191.012. DEATH INFORMATION PROVIDED TO CERTAIN
	HOSPITALS. (a) In this section:
	(1) "Hospital" means a hospital licensed under Chapter
	241.
	(2) "Trauma facility" has the meaning assigned by
	Section 773.003.
	(b) The department shall implement an efficient and
	effective procedure to provide death information to a hospital
	designated as a Level I trauma facility to assist with the
	hospital's participation in the Medicaid managed care program
	operated under Chapter 540, Government Code.
	(c) The procedure implemented under Subsection (b) at a
	minimum must provide the following information for each deceased
	person for whom a death certificate is filed with a local registrar
	in this state:
	(1) the county of residence of the deceased;
	(2) the date of birth of the deceased; and
	(3) the full name of the deceased.
	(d) Subject to available resources, the department may use
	the procedure implemented under Subsection (b) to provide death
	information to a hospital that is not designated as a Level I trauma
	facility.
	SECTION 2. If before implementing any provision of this Act
	a state agency determines a waiver or authorization from a federal
	agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the
	agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
	authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the
	waiver or authorization is granted.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


April 7, 2025

TO:	Honorable Lois W. Kolkhorst, Chair, Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB1467 by Hinojosa, Juan "Chuy" (Relating to death records maintained by the vital statistics unit of the Department of State Health Services and provided to certain hospitals.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1467, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,359,039) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five- Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2026	($686,430)
2027	($672,609)
2028	($673,709)
2029	($674,624)
2030	($675,559)

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from General Revenue Fund 1	Change in Number of State Employees from FY 2025
2026	($686,430)	5.0
2027	($672,609)	5.0
2028	($673,709)	5.0
2029	($674,624)	5.0
2030	($675,559)	5.0

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would require the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to implement a procedure to provide death information to a licensed hospital to assist with the hospital's participation in the Medicaid managed care program.

The bill would require the procedure to include minimum information to be provided for each deceased person for whom a death certificate is filed with a local registrar including county of a residence, date of birth, and the full name of the deceased.

Methodology

This analysis assumes DSHS would need to develop and enter into data sharing agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) in order for provision licensed hospitals to gain access to death data through the State Health Analytics and Reporting Platform (SHARP).

The analysis assumes DSHS would require 5.0 additional full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) to ensure ongoing contract management and reporting required to comply with statute requirements. This includes Program Specialist IV positions (2.0 FTEs) to manage and facilitate MOUs with hospitals; Compliance Analyst II positions (2.0 FTEs) to manage, document, and enforce hospital agreements; and a Compliance Analyst III position (1.0 FTE) to manage the team of Program Specialists and Compliance Analysts.

Salaries, benefits, and other related costs for the new FTEs total $542,909 in fiscal year 2026 and $672,609 in fiscal year 2027, all from the General Revenue Fund. The lower cost in fiscal year 2026 is attributable to a later start date for the new positions assumed in the first fiscal year.

Any consultation, analysis, or adoption of rules by the Health and Human Services Commission to implement the bill can be accomplished within existing resources.

Technology

This analysis assumes DSHS would need to modify SHARP to allow hospitals to access the system. The one time information technology costs are estimated to total $143,521 from the General Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2026.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

529 Health and Human Services Commission, 537 State Health Services, Department of

LBB Staff:

JMc, NPe, ER, APA, NV

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB1467

What does Texas SB1467 do?

SB1467 mandates the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to provide death record data to Level I Trauma Facilities (and permissively to other licensed hospitals) to prevent Medicaid billing errors. This legislation transforms a passive record-keeping function into an active data governance operation, requiring hospitals to execute strict Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs) and integrate with the state's SHARP platform to scrub patient rolls. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025.

Who authored SB1467?

SB1467 was authored by Texas Senator Juan Hinojosa during the Regular Session.

When was SB1467 signed into law?

SB1467 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB1467?

SB1467 is enforced by Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

How urgent is compliance with SB1467?

The compliance urgency for SB1467 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB1467?

The cost impact of SB1467 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB1467 address?

SB1467 addresses topics including health, health--general, hospitals, birth & death certificates and medicaid.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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