PROCEDURE FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION

(a) A health care regulatory agency shall establish and implement written procedures to ensure that information obtained that is required to be forwarded under Section 774.002 is forwarded to the appropriate health care regulatory agency not later than the 15th day after the date the agency determines that the information is information that it believes may be grounds for another health care regulatory agency to conduct an investigation of or institute a disciplinary proceeding against a health care provider under Section 774.002. (b) A procedure adopted under this section must provide that the executive head of a health care regulatory agency or the executive head's designee may forward information under this section only to the executive head or the executive head's designee of the appropriate health care regulatory agency. (c) In this section, "executive head" means the director, executive director, commissioner, administrator, chief clerk, or other individual who is appointed by the governing body or highest officer of a health care regulatory agency to act as the chief executive or administrative officer of the agency and who is not an appointed officer.