EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0859*
SENATE BILL 859
J1 2lr2941
CF HB 1176
By: Senator Watson
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2022
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Health – Sickle Cell Disease Registry – Establishment 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish and 3
maintain a registry of individuals diagnosed with sickle cell disease for a certain 4
purpose; requiring the Department to periodically publish information identifying 5
areas with statistically high populations of individuals with sickle cell disease; and 6
generally relating to a sickle cell disease registry. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Health – General 9
Section 18–508 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Health – General 15
18–508. 16
(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH AND MAINTAIN A REGISTRY OF 17
INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSE D WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE FOR USE AS A SINGLE 18
REPOSITORY OF ACCURA TE, COMPLETE RECORDS TO AID IN PROMOTING THE SITING 19 2 SENATE BILL 859
OF THE FOLLOWING HEA LTH CARE PROVIDERS I N AREAS WITH STATIST ICALLY HIGH 1
POPULATIONS OF INDIV IDUALS WITH SICKLE C ELL DISEASE: 2
(1) HEALTH CARE FACILITIE S THAT PROVIDE INFUSIO N THERAPY; 3
AND 4
(2) HEMATOLOGIST OFFICES . 5
(B) THE SICKLE CELL DISEA SE REGISTRY ESTABLIS HED UNDER 6
SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L INCLUDE: 7
(1) A RECORD OF INDIVIDUAL S IN THE STATE WHO HAVE BEEN 8
DIAGNOSED WITH SICKL E CELL DISEASE; AND 9
(2) ANY OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING INDIVIDUAL S WHO HAVE 10
BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE THAT THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS 11
NECESSARY AND APPROP RIATE FOR INCLUSION ON THE REGISTRY . 12
(C) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTA BLISH A PROCESS AND 13
GUIDELINES FOR: 14
(I) OBTAINING INFORMATION REGARDING AN INDIVID UAL 15
DIAGNOSED WITH SICKL E CELL DISEASE FROM HEALTH CARE FACILITI ES FOR USE 16
IN THE REGISTRY; AND 17
(II) ENSURING THAT THE REG ISTRY AND THE PROCES S OF 18
OBTAINING INFORMATIO N FOR THE REGISTRY C OMPLY WITH THE REQUIREME NTS 19
OF § 18–504 OF THIS SUBTITLE , § 13–109 OF THIS ARTICLE , THE HEALTH 20
INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996, AND ANY OTHER 21
APPLICABLE PRIVACY L AW; AND 22
(III) INTEGRATING THE REGIS TRY WITH THE 23
STATE–DESIGNATED HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE . 24
(2) THE DEPARTMENT MAY USE AN Y AVAILABLE SOURCES OF DATA 25
FOR THE REGISTRY OR AS PART OF THE PROCE SS AND GUIDELINES ES TABLISHED 26
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION , INCLUDING: 27
(I) DATA FROM THE DESIGNA TED HEALTH INFORMATION 28
EXCHANGE IN THE STATE; 29
(II) CENSUS–TRACT LEVEL DATA ; AND 30
(III) INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM VITAL RECORDS . 31 SENATE BILL 859 3
(D) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WHO PROVIDES HEALTH CARE TO AN 1
INDIVIDUAL WITH SICK LE CELL DISEASE SHAL L PROVIDE TO THE DEPARTMENT ANY 2
INFORMATION IN THE FORM AND MANN ER REQUIRED BY THE G UIDELINES 3
ESTABLISHED UNDER SU BSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 4
(E) TO THE EXTENT AUTHORI ZED BY LAW , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 5
PERIODICALLY PUBLISH INFORMATION IDENTIFY ING AREAS WITH STATI STICALLY 6
HIGH POPULATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SICKLE CE LL DISEASE, WHICH MAY 7
INCLUDE INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN A MAP . 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 9
October 1, 2022. 10
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.