Public health records: reporting: HIV/AIDS.

Existing law, with specified exceptions, prohibits the disclosure of public health records containing personally identifiable information relating to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that were developed or acquired by a state or local public health agency. Existing law authorizes disclosure of these public health records if otherwise provided by law for public health purposes, pursuant to a written authorization by the person who is the subject of the record, or when the confidential information is necessary to carry out the duties of the public health agency or researcher in the investigation, control, or surveillance of disease. Existing law requires these authorized disclosures to include only the information necessary for the purpose of that disclosure and to be made upon the agreement that the information will be kept confidential and will not be further disclosed without written authorization. Existing law provides exceptions to the above-described requirements on the disclosure of information regarding public health records relating to HIV or AIDS, and authorizes specified disclosures of that information for the purpose of enhancing the completeness of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted disease coinfection reporting to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , including authorizing local public agency tuberculosis control staff to disclose the information to certain state public health agency staff who may further disclose the information to the CDC, as specified. This bill would require any disclosure authorized under these provisions to include only the information necessary for the purpose of that disclosure and to be made upon the agreement that the information will be kept confidential. This bill would prohibit specified disclosures from being made without written authorization. The bill would include hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and meningococcal infection for HIV/AIDS coinfection reporting to the CDC. The bill would additionally authorize, for purposes of the investigation, control, or surveillance of HIV and its coinfection with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and meningococcal infection, local public health agency communicable disease staff to further disclose the information to state public health agency staff, who may further disclose the information to the CDC, as specified. Existing law authorizes local public health agency sexually transmitted disease control and tuberculosis control staff to disclose the HIV/AIDS-related information to state or local public health agency sexually transmitted disease control and tuberculosis control staff, the HIV-positive person, or his or her health care provider, for the purpose of facilitating appropriate medical care and treatment of persons coinfected with HIV, tuberculosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia. This bill would additionally authorize any local public health agency sexually transmitted disease control, communicable disease control, and tuberculosis staff to further disclose that information to state or local public health agency sexually transmitted disease control, communicable disease control, and tuberculosis staff for the purpose of facilitating appropriate medical care and treatment of persons coinfected with HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or meningococcal infection, as specified.