HB 694 — An Act amending the act of April 23, 1956 (1955 P.L.1510, No.500), known as the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955, further providing for confidentiality of reports and records.

PRINTER'S NO.   710

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 694
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY ZIMMERMAN, GREINER AND KENYATTA, FEBRUARY 21, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, FEBRUARY 21, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 23, 1956 (1955 P.L.1510, No.500),
 2      entitled "An act providing for the prevention and control of
 3      communicable and non-communicable diseases including venereal
 4      diseases, fixing responsibility for disease prevention and
 5      control, requiring reports of diseases, and authorizing
 6      treatment of venereal diseases, and providing for premarital
 7      and prenatal blood tests; amending, revising and
 8      consolidating the laws relating thereto; and repealing
 9      certain acts," further providing for confidentiality of
10      reports and records.
11      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
12   hereby enacts as follows:
13      Section 1.    Section 15(a) of the act of April 23, 1956 (1955
14   P.L.1510, No.500), known as the Disease Prevention and Control
15   Law of 1955, is amended by adding a clause to read:
16      Section 15.    Confidentiality of Reports and Records.--
17      (a)   Except as provided under section 15.1, State and local
18   health authorities may not disclose reports of diseases, any
19   records maintained as a result of any action taken in
20   consequence of such reports, or any other records maintained
21   pursuant to this act or any regulations, to any person who is
22   not a member of the department or of a local board or department
 1   of health, except as follows:
 2      * * *
 3      (3)   Where the department receives a resolution from the
 4   governing body of a county without a local board or department
 5   of health that authorizes the governing body of the county to
 6   receive communicable disease or reportable disease information
 7   that occurs within its jurisdiction. Upon receipt of the
 8   resolution under this clause, the department shall release to
 9   the governing body of the county de-identifying communicable
10   disease or reportable disease information, including the
11   municipality where there has been a confirmed case of a
12   communicable disease or reportable disease within the past
13   twenty-four (24) hours. The governing body of the county shall
14   comply with all applicable Federal and State laws, regulations
15   and confidentiality standards regarding the use of communicable
16   disease or reportable disease information under this clause.
17   This clause shall not apply to the release of communicable
18   disease or reportable disease information of a municipality with
19   a local board or department of health.
20      * * *
21      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 90 days.




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