H-4853.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2914

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Dyer, Talcott, Backlund, Bush, Mielke, Sump, Crouse, Benson, Smith, Mulliken, Boldt, Lambert, Carlson, Carrell, Sehlin, Huff, Sullivan, Thompson, L. Thomas and Lisk)

Read first time 02/03/98.  Referred to Committee on .

Diagnosing and reporting sexually transmitted diseases.

    AN ACT Relating to the diagnosis and reporting of sexually transmitted diseases; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) The legislature finds that in order to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington state, AIDS case reporting is not sufficient.  Addressing this problem through the establishment of a HIV infection surveillance system has been endorsed by both private and public entities.  No HIV infection surveillance system currently exists in this state.  Therefore, the state has the opportunity to develop a HIV infection surveillance system that is both sensitive to privacy and confidentiality issues as well as meeting standards of the United States centers for disease control and prevention for disease surveillance.  Recognizing the complexity and public health challenges posed by the establishment of a HIV infection surveillance system and the changing epidemic, the legislature establishes the HIV surveillance implementation task force.

    (2) The governor shall appoint a fifteen member HIV surveillance implementation task force, which shall be comprised of representatives from the following:

    (a) The chair of the state board of health or his or her designee;

    (b) The chair of the governor's advisory council on HIV/AIDS or his or her designee;

    (c) The department of health;

    (d) Local public health official;

    (e) Persons with HIV disease;

    (f) Community-based organizations serving those infected with HIV;

    (g) Hospitals;

    (h) Physicians;

    (i) Laboratories;

    (j) Epidemiologists;

    (k) Information system specialist; and

    (l) Other organizations as determined by the governor.

    (3) The task force shall develop a state-wide pilot project for HIV infection surveillance and complete a report for the state board of health including recommendations on implementation of the pilot project no later than October 1, 1998.  The task force shall ensure the system recommended for the pilot project meets guidelines for access to federal funds.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.

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