Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a settlement agreement with Austin Diagnostic Clinic to end its policy of restricting parental access to children’s electronic health records. The agreement requires the clinic to provide parents with full, real-time access to their children’s medical information except where restricted by state or federal law, and the AG will monitor compliance.
Austin Diagnostic Clinic must provide parents with full, real-time access to their children’s electronic health records, except for portions restricted by state or federal law. The Texas Attorney General’s office will monitor the clinic’s compliance with the agreement.
In-house legal teams at healthcare providers or entities handling children’s health data should review all contracts and internal policies governing parental access to minors’ electronic health records to ensure compliance with Texas Health & Safety Code § 183.006(b). Clauses related to data access restrictions for minors over a certain age (e.g., 12 years old) should be removed or revised to guarantee parents retain full, real-time access to their children’s health information except where explicitly restricted by state or federal law. Consent processes for sharing minor health data must be streamlined to avoid imposing undue burdens on parents, and monitoring provisions for compliance with parental access requirements should be added if not present.
Entity
Austin Diagnostic Clinic
Industry
Healthcare"Austin Diagnostic Clinic (“ADC”)"
"October 10, 2025"
"Attorney General Ken Paxton"
"Tex. Health & Safety Code § 183.006(b)"
"Tex. Health & Safety Code § 183.006(b)"
"restricting parental access to their children’s electronic health records"
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp., the U.S. government contractor that administers the VA Community Care Network and the Defense Health Agency's TRICARE West Region, over reports that it wrongfully denied health care claims by falsely treating insureds as having other health insurance (OHI). The OAG has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) and plans to interview consumers and employees to determine whether TriWest violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. No findings or penalties have been imposed yet.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Amazon.com, Inc. on August 31, 2026, alleging Amazon deceived advertisers by claiming to run second-price auctions while secretly applying hidden surcharges and undisclosed 'soft reserve' prices that pushed winners' costs up by roughly 17% on ordinary days and more than 25% during peak events like Prime Day. The hidden surcharges generated roughly $4.5 billion in additional nationwide revenue in 2024, and more than 18,000 Texas sellers and vendors advertise on the platform. The State brings claims under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, an injunction against inaccurate auction descriptions, and per-auction pricing records for every Texas advertiser; the FTC and a coalition of other states filed a parallel federal action the same day.
$1.0B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a historic settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. requiring Meta to pay over $1 billion and implement significant new safeguards to protect children online. The settlement includes stricter age-assurance measures, a daily two-hour limit for teen users, default disabling of notifications during school hours, hidden likes/reactions, and a nighttime access mode restricting features for children.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an industry-wide investigation into companies marketing avocado oil products that may contain undisclosed seed oils. Civil Investigative Demands were issued to Primal Kitchen, Siete Foods, and Chosen Foods, with more companies expected to be investigated for potential violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Attorney General Ken Paxton secured settlements with WK Kellogg Co. and General Mills Inc. requiring the removal of synthetic dyes from cereals served in schools. The companies have already removed these dyes from K-12 cereals, with full removal from all products by the end of 2027.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) over concerns that the organization may be promoting and recommending childhood vaccines for financial gain. The AAP has been issued a Civil Investigative Demand to determine the basis of its vaccine recommendations and whether they are influenced by financial incentives from pharmaceutical donors.