This policy documents the Texas Medical Board’s policy on linking between TMB and third-party websites. The policy helps ensure the following:
1. Information on TMB’s site benefits the public including consumers, licensees, applicants, stakeholder and interested parties.
2. TMB site visitors can be confident TMB site content is reliable.
3. TMB does not endorse, approve or support the content or position of the third-party site.
4. The TMB website is not a forum for public communication and debate.
Links to the Texas Medical Board Website
This section outlines the requirements for a third-party to include a link to TMB’s site on their site.
Allowed Actions
1. You do not need permission to link to TMB’s website(s).
2. You may link to any page.
Third-Party Requirements
1. Any link to the TMB site should be a full forward link that passes the client browser to TMB unencumbered.
2. The "Back" button should return the visitor third party site.
3. Continually verify your links to the TMB site. Specific pages may change or be removed as content changes.
Prohibited Actions
1. Any other website shall not;
a. Capture TMB pages within frames
b. Present TMB content as its own, or
c. Otherwise misrepresent TMB content.
2. Any other website shall not misinform users about the origin or ownership of TMB content.
3. Certain information on TMB may be trademarked, service-marked, or otherwise protected as intellectual property.
4. Protected intellectual property must be used in accordance with state and federal laws and must reflect the proper ownership of the intellectual property.
Links from the Texas Medical Board Website
This section outlines the requirements and process for a third party to request that TMB include a link to their site on TMB’s site.
Allowed Links
1. Federal, state, and local governments that provide information and services that benefit Texas citizens, Texas local government, and Texas state agencies.
2. At TMB’s discretion, links to non-governmental websites that contain information and/or services that further the purpose of TMB, including:
a. sites of TMB-contracted vendors,
b. relevant licensee-related associations, and
c. timely and relevant licensee publications.
3. The third party site’s content corresponds with the purpose of TMB.
4. Every link request must undergo review to determine its relevance and appropriateness to the purpose of TMB.
Third-Party Site Requirements
To give superior customer service to citizens and businesses accessing governmental information and services through TMB, we require that external websites linked from TMB meet the following conditions in order to maintain a link on TMB’s website:
1. When the user clicks on the third party site link, TMB will open the link in a new browser tab or window, depending on the user’s browser settings.
2. Third party sites should not excessively burden the TMB customer support system. TMB has discretion to take the third party site link off of the TMB website if it creates an excessive burden.
3. The third party site must provide the user with access to an email address and/or a customer service telephone number so that users may contact the site if there are problems with format, accuracy, timeliness, or payment processing.
4. Third party sites must have a privacy and security policy accessible from their home page informing the user of what information is collected, how it is collected, and how it is used.
5. TMB encourages third party sites to comply with industry-accepted accessibility standards to ensure that persons with disabilities may access these sites.
6. Third party sites must notify TMB at the email address provided below if the site to which TMB links becomes inaccurate or inactive.
Prohibited Links
TMB reserves the right to deny links to third party sites.
1. The site's content does not reflect purpose of TMB including;
a. Site that exhibits hate, bias, discrimination, pornography, libelous or otherwise defamatory content;
b. Site that advocates or promotes the use of alcohol or tobacco;
c. Site belonging to or supporting a political affiliation; or
d. Site that furthers the agenda of a political organization or candidate running for office.
2. The third party’s site contains;
a. Misleading or unsubstantiated claims,
b. Conflicts with the purpose of TMB, or
3. Does not meet one or more of the criteria set forth in this policy.
Link Review Process
All links will be reviewed before being placed on TMB’s site.
1. Email link requests to Communications@tmb.state.tx.us, indicating “Link Request” in the subject line. Each link request should address how the site complies with this policy.
2. Any site submitted for review must comply with the Third-Party Site Requirements
3. The link request will be reviewed against this policy. The TMB General Counsel will review each request as to whether the requesting site complies with the criteria set out in this policy.
4. Following the review of General Counsel all link requests must be reviewed and approved by TMB, which may include a Committee of TMB, at a regularly called and properly noticed meeting of TMB.
5. Any approved third party may be required to enter into a written linking agreement with TMB.
Link Removal Process
TMB reserves the right to remove links if it determines that a link does not comply with this policy. The decision of the TMB General Counsel is final as to whether a link is to be removed from TMB. Links from TMB will be reviewed regularly and may be removed for the following reasons:
1. The third party site no longer complies with this policy.
2. Access to the information has become difficult due to non-standard formatting, lengthy download times, or intrusive advertising;
3. The link is permanently unreachable or remains unavailable for a lengthy period; and
4. The external website fails to comply with the written linking agreement, if any.
State Agency Link and Privacy Policy
Agencies, including TMB, are required to post a link to the Department of Information Resource’s (DIR) State Website Linking and Privacy Policy.
Adopted March 2, 2018