Cancer data: notifications.

Removed the requirement that any entity reporting a patient's cancer case to the department must notify the patient by mail within five business days that their case was reported and that the department may add it to a cancer registry. This was the bill's most notable new policy provision in the Senate amendment and has been dropped entirely.

Fixed a duplicated Latin term in the definition of covered cancers: 'caudae cauda equina' corrected to 'cauda equina' in subdivision (h)(2).

Corrected a grammatical error in subdivision (d)(2) regarding the exception for cases referred to treatment facilities, changing 'except for those cases a case directly referred' to 'except for a case directly referred.'

Hospitals and other facilities that provide therapy to cancer patients in a designated cancer reporting area must post a department-designed sign in a conspicuous location. The sign must include an advisement that reportable cancer cases will be reported to the department and may be made available to cancer researchers, plus a QR code linking to the California Cancer Registry internet website.

The entire second section amending Section 103875 of the Health and Safety Code (technical changes to the epidemiological assessments program) was removed. The bill now only amends Section 103885.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' meaning the bill now requires review by the fiscal committee, likely due to the new sign-posting requirement imposing costs on facilities or the department.

The bill now amends Section 103885 in addition to Section 103875, expanding scope from a single technical correction to an entire statewide cancer reporting and registry framework.

Establishes a statewide cancer reporting system using population-based regional cancer registries modeled after Orange County's Cancer Surveillance Program, with phased implementation deadlines and authority to award contracts or grants to operate the system, exempt from Public Contract Code Part 2.

Hospitals and facilities providing therapy to cancer patients must report each case to the department in a prescribed format. Physicians, dentists, podiatrists, and other practitioners diagnosing or treating cancer must also report each case, with limited exceptions for cases referred to treatment facilities.

Pathologists and pathology laboratories must report cancer diagnoses using College of American Pathologists protocols or other department-approved standardized formats, and must do so electronically via electronic medical record or a department-provided web portal.

Within 5 business days of reporting a patient's cancer case to the department, the reporting entity must notify the patient by mail that the case was reported and that the department may add the patient's information to a registry of cancer cases.

Confidentiality provisions protect collected cancer information from subpoena and use in legal proceedings, while allowing controlled access for qualified researchers with valid scientific interest who agree to maintain confidentiality and obtain human subjects committee approval.

Hospitals or facilities that fail to report in the prescribed format must reimburse the department for costs of accessing and reporting the information, with payment due within 60 days. Late fees of up to 1.5 percent per month may be assessed on outstanding balances.

Willful failure by any facility or individual to grant the department access to records identifying cancer cases is punishable by a fine of up to $500 per day that access is refused, with fines deposited in the General Fund.

Defines 'cancer' for purposes of the section as all malignant neoplasms (excluding basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) plus specified primary intracranial and central nervous system tumors.

The original technical change to Section 103875 (replacing 'director' with 'State Public Health Officer') is retained but renumbered from Section 1 to Section 2 of the bill.