Technology

House Bill 4242 amends the public health code to update requirements for how medical licensees manage patient records. It mandates that healthcare providers explicitly document medical services involving vaginal or anal penetration in patient records, with certain exceptions. The bill establishes a general minimum record retention period of 7 years, which extends to 15 years for records of these specific penetration-related services, also with specified exceptions. Additionally, it outlines procedures for protecting record integrity and confidentiality, ensuring patient access, and for the proper destruction or transfer of records.

HB 4235 prohibits public employees and officials in Michigan from using or accessing certain applications on government-issued devices, specifically those linked to foreign governments or entities from designated "countries of concern" (like China, Russia, or Iran). It requires public employers (state agencies, schools, local governments) to block these apps on all government networks, restrict them on devices, and maintain remote wipe capabilities to remove them. The law bans downloading or accessing prohibited apps on work devices, with exceptions only for law enforcement officers conducting public safety investigations. This directly affects all state and local government workers using official devices for job-related tasks.