Communicable diseases: HIV reporting.

Senator Laird's legislation modifies California's HIV reporting requirements to establish new protocols for healthcare providers sharing additional case information with public health authorities. The measure amends existing confidentiality provisions in the Health and Safety Code governing HIV-related health records.

Under the proposed changes, providers may disclose supplemental personally identifying information to local health officers or the state health department to complete HIV case reports for previously reported infections. The bill restricts such disclosures to instances where the information is necessary for disease investigation, surveillance, or coordinating patient care. All shared data must remain confidential, with unauthorized disclosures subject to civil penalties up to $25,000 and potential criminal charges.

The legislation maintains current protections prohibiting the use of disclosed HIV records in employment or insurance decisions while preserving authorized information sharing between public health agencies and researchers for disease control purposes. It also clarifies that state and local contracted employees, but not non-governmental entities, qualify as public health staff permitted to handle confidential case data.