SB 370

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law regulates the sharing of a patient's or client's immunization information between a health care provider, a local health department, the State Department of Public Health, and other agencies. Existing law prescribes the process by which a patient or client, or parent or guardian of a patient or client, may refuse to allow the information to be shared and requires the health care provider administering the immunization to provide the patient with a designated notice. Existing law permits local health departments and the department to share the name of a patient or client, or parent or guardian of a patient or client, with a state, local health department, health care provider, immunization information system, or any representative of an entity designated by federal or state law to receive this information, and authorizes the department to enter into written agreements to share this information with other states for specified purposes, unless the patient or client, or parent or guardian of the patient or client, refuses to allow the information to be shared. Under existing law, the patient or client, or parent or guardian of the patient or client, has the right to examine shared immunization-related information and to correct errors in it. Under existing law, unless the patient or client or patient's or client's parent or guardian, refuses the recordsharing of information, health care providers and other agencies, including, but not limited to, schools, child care facilities, service providers for the California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) , health care plans, foster care agencies, and county welfare departments, may disclose, to local health departments operating countywide or regional immunization information and reminder systems and the department, specified information, including, but not limited to, the name, date of birth, gender, and birthplace of a patient or client. This bill would include the patient's or client's height, weight, and body mass index, and other patient or client information of public health importance as determined by the department, in consultation with the California Conference of Local Health Officers, in the list of information that may be shared.