Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

STATE AFFAIRS
Issues
FFAIRS/Public Information & Privacy
77 th Texas Legislature
Prohibiting the Use of Certain Genetic Information - S.B. 12
by Senators Nelson and Lucio
House Sponsor: Representative McCall
Information about a person's genetic predisposition to certain diseases or medical conditions is increasingly
available. There is concern that employers, occupational licensing authorities, and insurance companies
may discriminate on the basis of certain genetic information or genetic tests. If the definitions of genetic
information and genetic tests are modified, such discrimination might be prevented.
Amends provisions of the law to add the definitions of "family health history" and "genetic characteristic,"
and modifies the definitions of "genetic information" and "genetic test."
Prohibits an occupational licensing authority from taking any action against a license applicant or license
holder based on the refusal of the license applicant or license holder to submit a family health history.
Access to Criminal History Record Information by DPRS - S.B. 53
by Senator Zaffirini
House Sponsors: Representatives Bob Turner and Naishtat
Current law requires the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS) to obtain criminal
history record information relating to certain people working, living, or having contact with a child in state
care or a ward of the state.
Requires DPRS to obtain criminal history record information (information) maintained by the Department of
Public Safety (DPS) that relates to a person who is an owner, operator, or employee of, an applicant for
employment by, or an applicant for a license to operate a licensed, registered, certified, or listed child-care
facility, child-placing agency, family home, or maternity home.
Requires DPRS to obtain information that relates to a person 14 years of age or older other than a child in
the care of the child-care facility, family home, or maternity home. DPRS is required to obtain information
on an applicant selected, rather than all applicants, for a position with DPRS the duties of which include
direct delivery of protective services to children, elderly persons, or person with a disability.
Requires DPRS to obtain information on a registered DPRS volunteer, a person applying to provide inhome
care for children in the care of DPRS, and other persons who have been the subject of a DPRS
report that they abused, neglected, or exploited a child, an elderly person, or a person with a disability,
Entitles DPRS to obtain information from DPS on a child who is related to a caretaker and who resides in a
child-care facility, family home, or maternity home, any other person who has unsupervised access to a
child in the care of such a facility, or a person providing or applying to provide in-home, adoptive, or foster
Senate Research Center 285