| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to epidemiological monitoring systems; |
| 3 | amending s. 395.3025, F.S.; authorizing the Department of |
| 4 | Health to collaborate with and disclose certain |
| 5 | information to the United States Centers for Disease |
| 6 | Control and Prevention for specified purposes; providing |
| 7 | an effective date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
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| 11 | Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 395.3025, Florida |
| 12 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 13 | 395.3025 Patient and personnel records; copies; |
| 14 | examination.- |
| 15 | (5) The Department of Health may examine patient records |
| 16 | of a licensed facility, whether held by the facility or the |
| 17 | Agency for Health Care Administration, for the purpose of |
| 18 | epidemiological investigations. The unauthorized release of |
| 19 | information by agents of the department which would identify an |
| 20 | individual patient is a misdemeanor of the first degree, |
| 21 | punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. The |
| 22 | department may collaborate with, and disclose such information |
| 23 | to, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| 24 | as part of the epidemiological monitoring systems to which both |
| 25 | the department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| 26 | staff have access. Collaboration and disclosures authorized by |
| 27 | this subsection must comply with relevant state and federal |
| 28 | privacy and security laws and regulations. |
| 29 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010. |