Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Section

Texas qualified physicians may prescribe low-THC cannabis for the treatment of approved medical conditions, under conditions established in Texas laws and regulations. In 2015, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 339, known as the Texas Compassionate-Use Act, authorizing low-THC cannabis to be prescribed to treat patients with intractable epilepsy. Since then, the Texas Legislature has expanded the list of approved conditions for medical treatment. To learn about the legislation and rules, incurable neurodegenerative diseases, and how to report, visit the low-THC cannabis medical use webpage.

Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 1003.054 requires written consent before an eligible patient receives a voluntary investigational stem cell treatment. Effective January 15, 2021, the Department of State Health Services informed consent form (English) (Spanish) must be signed and maintained in the patient's medical record.

Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 490.052 requires an eligible patient to sign an informed consent form before receiving treatment involving an investigational drug, biological product, or device, as defined by THSC Section 490.001. Effective August 19, 2024, the patient and physician must provide a signed, written Department of State Health Services informed consent form to a manufacturer of an investigational drug, biological product, or device before the manufacturer may make the investigational drug, biological product, or device available to the patient. A physician may use a different informed consent form if it contains, at a minimum, the same information as the department form. The written informed consent form must be maintained in the medical record of the treating physician in accordance with the applicable records retention requirements.

The Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention (HPCDP) Section is part of the Community Health Improvement Division of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The Section serves Texans by creating, promoting, and guiding public health programs across the lifespan to promote healthy lifestyles and educate, prevent, and manage chronic diseases.

Dedicated to the health of every Texan throughout their lifespan.

Vision

All Texans live, work, play, and learn in communities that support health and an optimal quality of life at every age.

Mission

To serve all Texans by improving and supporting systems, policies and environments that promote health and improve quality of life.

Goal

To coordinate efforts between communities, coalitions, and stakeholders to support and sustain an environment that makes possible a whole and healthy Texan.