SB 504: Communicable diseases: HIV reporting.

Existing law requires all health care providers and laboratories to report cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to the local health officer and requires the local health officer to report unduplicated HIV cases to the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires public health records related to HIV or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), containing personally identifying information, that were developed or acquired by a state or local public health agency, or an agent of that agency, to be confidential and not disclosed, except as otherwise provided by law for public health purposes or pursuant to a written authorization by the person who is the subject of the record or by their guardian or conservator. Existing law authorizes certain state or local public health officials to disclose those records to other local, state, or federal public health agencies or to medical researchers when the confidential information is necessary to carry out specified duties of the agency or researcher, including in the investigation, control, or surveillance of disease.

This bill would additionally authorize a health care provider of a patient with an HIV infection that has already been reported to a local health officer as described above to disclose identifying information about the patient to a local health jurisdiction or the department if the disclosure is necessary to complete or supplement an HIV case report or for the local health jurisdiction or the department to carry out its duties in the investigation, control, or surveillance of disease, or the coordination of, linkage to, or reengagement in care for a person, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions.