Rep. Stuart Spitzer (R-Kaufman), MD, introduced the bill (HB 2823), saying physicians asking about gun ownership is “not appropriate,” according to the report.
The bill would allow psychiatrists to ask about gun ownership, as they are more likely to treat patients with suicidal thoughts. Rep. Spitzer said physicians, could instead ask “open-ended” questions regarding a person’s intention to hurt him or herself, according to the report.
The bill has received criticism from the medical community. Gary Floyd, MD, a board member of the Texas Medical Association, said physicians ask questions pertaining to patient safety all the time, “about bike helmets and seat belts and swimming pool hazards, dangerous chemicals in the home, sexual behaviors, domestic violence. I could go on and on,” he said, according to the report. “All of that’s geared mainly to how we should direct our advice.”
If passed, the Texas Medical Board would be responsible for overseeing punishment, according to the report.
In 2011, Florida passed a similar law that says physicians may face discipline for “inquiring about a private matter irrelevant to medical care,” saying such an act “isn’t part of the practice of good medicine,” according to the majority opinion.
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