LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS

(a) The legislature finds that: (1) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service have made recommendations for preventing transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) to patients in the health care setting; (2) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service have found that when health care workers adhere to recommended infection-control procedures, the risk of transmitting HBV from an infected health care worker to a patient is small, and the risk of transmitting HIV is likely to be even smaller; (3) the risk of transmission of HIV and HBV in health care settings will be minimized if health care workers adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Public Health Service recommendations; and (4) health care workers who perform exposure-prone procedures should know their HIV antibody status; health care workers who perform exposure-prone procedures and who do not have serologic evidence of immunity to HBV from vaccination or from previous infection should know their HBsAg status and, if that is positive, should also know their HBeAg status. (b) Any testing for HIV antibody status shall comply with Subchapters C, D, and F, Chapter 81.