Health Care Facilities Regulation

HHSC is required to regulate certain types of health care facilities to protect consumer and patient health and safety by ensuring compliance with state laws and rules. Regulatory activities include surveying facilities, reviewing complaints, investigating possible violations, evaluating evidence, reviewing plans of correction, and determining administrative penalties.

Working collaboratively with stakeholders, HHSC establishes rules and standards for facilities’ general operations, patient services, and physical plants, as well as procedural rules regarding license applications and issuance, complaints, violations, and enforcement.

Texas law requires certain types of health care facilities to be licensed in order to provide services. The licensing procedure varies according to facility type and may include application review, fees, architectural and life safety code approval, and initial on-site surveys.

You can verify a facility license by searching the online licensing system.

Abortion Facilities (ABO)
Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC)
Birthing Centers
Burial or Cremation Assistance Registry
Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA)
Chemical Dependency Treatment Facilities (CDTF)
Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC)
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (CORF)
End Stage Renal Disease Facilities (ESRD)
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Freestanding Emergency Medical Care Facilities (FEMC)
Hospitals – General Hospitals
Hospitals – Private Psychiatric Hospitals and Crisis Stabilization Units (Psych Hospital & CSU)
Hospitals – Special Hospitals
Laboratories – Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)
Limited Services Rural Hospitals (LSRH)
Narcotic Treatment Programs (NTP)
Outpatient Physical Therapy/Outpatient Speech Pathology (OPT/SP)
Portable X-Ray Services (Port-X)
Psychiatric Drug Formulary
Rural Health Clinics (RHC)
Special Care Facilities (SCF)

Guidance Letters

Note: These files are in PDF format unless otherwise noted.

Number	Title	Date Published
GL 24-0001	Updated Freestanding Emergency Medical Care Facility Rules Applies to: FEMC	07/09/2024
GL 23-0001-A	Preparing for Hurricane Season Applies to: Abortion Facilities, ASC, Birthing Centers, CDTF, CMHC, CORF, Psych Hospital & CSU, ESRD, FEMC, Hospital, Special Hospital, CLIA, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors, NTP, Port-X, RHC, SCF

Note: Revised 06-19-2024

Note: Revised May 30, 2024

Note: Replaces GL 21-3004A, revised 5/20/2024.

Note: Replaces GL 23-1003. Previously replaced by GL 23-1001-A.