Texas Health and Safety Code - HEALTH & SAFETY § 161.0211. Epidemiologic or Toxicologic Investigations

(a) Under its duty to protect the public health, the department shall conduct epidemiologic or toxicologic investigations of human illnesses or conditions and of environmental exposures that are harmful or believed to be harmful to the public health.

(b) The department may conduct those investigations to determine the nature and extent of the disease or environmental exposure believed to be harmful to the public health. Any findings or determinations from such investigations that relate to environmental exposures believed to be harmful to the public shall be reported in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the two agencies shall coordinate corrective measures as appropriate. The department shall use generally accepted methods of epidemiology or toxicology in the conduct of an investigation.

(c) A person shall provide medical, demographic, epidemiologic, toxicologic, or environmental information to the department as described by Section 81.061(c).

(d) A person is not liable for damages or other relief for providing medical or other confidential information to the department during an epidemiologic or toxicologic investigation.