(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department may disclose information reported by health care facilities under Section 98.103 or 98.1045 to other programs within the department, to the commission, to other health and human services agencies, as defined by Section 521.0001, Government Code, and to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or any other agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, for public health research or analysis purposes only, provided that the research or analysis relates to health care-associated infections or preventable adverse events. The privilege and confidentiality provisions contained in this chapter apply to such disclosures.
(b) If the executive commissioner designates an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services to receive reports of health care-associated infections or preventable adverse events, that agency may use the information submitted for purposes allowed by federal law.