1. (a) The department shall maintain records or documents relating to complaints directed to the department by consumers of home health, hospice, habilitation, or personal assistance services. The department shall organize the records or documents according to standard, statewide categories as determined by the department. In determining appropriate categories, the department shall make distinctions based on factors useful to the public in assessing the quality of services provided by a home and community support services agency, including whether the complaint:

   1. (1) was determined to be valid or invalid;
   2. (2) involved significant physical harm or death to a patient;
   3. (3) involved financial exploitation of a patient; or
   4. (4) resulted in any sanction imposed against the agency.
2. (b) The department shall make the information maintained under this section available to the public in a useful format that does not identify individuals implicated in the complaints.

Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 276, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 826 (H.B. 4001), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2015.