Texas Occupations Code 261.054 – Committee’s Evidentiary Privilege
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(a) Unless disclosure is required or authorized by law, records or determinations of or communications to a dental peer review committee are not subject to subpoena or discovery and are not admissible as evidence in a civil judicial or administrative proceeding unless the committee executes in writing a waiver of the confidentiality privilege.
(b) The evidentiary privilege created by this chapter may be invoked by any person in any civil judicial or administrative proceeding unless the person has secured a waiver of the privilege executed in writing by the presiding officer, assistant presiding officer, or secretary of the affected dental peer review committee.
Terms Used In Texas Occupations Code 261.054
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
- Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(c) If a dental peer review committee or a person participating in peer review named as a defendant in a civil action filed as a result of participation in peer review may use otherwise confidential information in the person’s defense or in a claim or suit under Section 261.104, the plaintiff in the proceeding may disclose the records or determinations of a peer review committee or communications made to a peer review committee in rebuttal to information supplied by the defendant.
(d) A person seeking access to privileged information must plead and prove waiver of the privilege.
(e) A member, employee, or agent of a dental peer review committee who provides access to privileged communications or records in cooperation with a law enforcement authority in a criminal investigation is not considered to have waived a privilege established under this chapter.