HB 300 applies to medical couriers in Texas, since the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act as amended by House Bill 300 defines a covered entity broadly enough to include any individual or organization that assembles, collects, analyzes, uses, evaluates, stores, or transmits Protected Health Information in connection with a business, a definition that reaches medical courier services regardless of their status under federal HIPAA. A medical courier transporting Protected Health Information between healthcare facilities in Texas meets this definition and carries the training and compliance obligations HB 300 imposes.
HIPAA As The Federal Baseline for Medical Couriers
Federal HIPAA applies to medical couriers as the foundational layer of compliance, governing how Protected Health Information must be handled during pickup, transport, and delivery, and typically applying to a courier as a Business Associate of the healthcare provider it serves. HB 300 does not replace this federal requirement. It applies alongside HIPAA and adds obligations that federal law does not cover, including a broader covered entity definition and training requirements enforced separately by the Texas Attorney General.
Additional Texas Laws That Apply to Medical Couriers Alongside HB 300
HB 300 is not the only Texas statute that affects medical courier compliance. Texas law layers several additional statutes on top of HIPAA and HB 300, including the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act, SB 1188 concerning artificial intelligence and electronic health records, and the Texas Medical Practice Act. A medical courier trained only on federal HIPAA and HB 300, without instruction on these additional statutes, has not addressed the complete scope of Texas medical privacy law that can apply to courier operations.
Texas Medical Courier Training and Certification
The HIPAA Journal’s Medical Courier Certification in Texas includes a Texas State Medical Privacy and Security Regulations module that covers all of these laws: HIPAA, HB 300 and the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act, SB 1188, and the Texas Medical Practice Act. This module is included as part of the course bundle, alongside HIPAA and OSHA training, giving Texas medical couriers a single certification that addresses the full range of applicable state and federal requirements.
PJ Murray is the founder and publisher of The HIPAA Journal. He has more than 10 years of experience writing about HIPAA, healthcare compliance, patient privacy, and the protection of medical records. Through The HIPAA Journal, PJ helps healthcare organizations, business associates, and their employees better understand HIPAA regulations, reduce compliance risks, and strengthen the safeguards used to protect patient information.
