Bill > SB504

This bill modifies existing California law regarding HIV reporting and confidentiality, with a focus on protecting patient privacy while allowing necessary public health communications. Specifically, the bill allows a healthcare provider who has already reported an HIV case to communicate with local health officers or the state department to provide additional required information to complete or supplement an existing HIV case report. However, the bill strictly limits the disclosure of personally identifying confidential information, permitting such disclosures only when absolutely necessary for the local health jurisdiction or department to carry out critical duties like disease investigation, control, surveillance, or care coordination. The bill maintains existing strong confidentiality protections for HIV-related public health records, including significant penalties for unauthorized disclosure, such as civil fines ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 and potential misdemeanor charges that could include jail time. The changes also make technical amendments to cross-references in related sections of California's Health and Safety Code and Welfare and Institutions Code to ensure consistency with the new provisions.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB504