S-915                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3447

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Granlund, Deccio, Kreidler and Talmadge; by Lieutenant Governor request

Read first time 1/30/85 and referred to Committee on Human Services and Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to cancer reporting; adding new sections to chapter 70.54 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     It is the intent of the legislature to establish a system to monitor accurately the incidence of cancer in the state of Washington for the purposes of understanding, controlling, and reducing the occurrence of cancer in this state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The department of social and health services shall establish, or cause to be established by contract with a recognized regional cancer research institution, a state-wide cancer registry program to maintain cancer reports as required in section 3 of this act and to make available data for use in cancer research.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The department of social and health services or its designee shall approve and supply forms on which cancer information shall be reported.  This information shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

          (a) The name of the person who has cancer;

          (b) The address where that person resides;

          (c) The person's sex;

          (d) The person's race;

          (e) The person's date of birth;

          (f) The person's social security number;

          (g) The treating physician's name;

          (h) The hospital;

          (i) The type of cancer, including site and histology; and

          (j) The stage and extent of the disease at the time of the initial diagnosis.

          (2) Every health care facility, independent clinical laboratory, and physician shall provide the department of social and health services or its designee with the information required under subsection (1) of this section or permit access to such information by designated employees of the department of social and health services or its designee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     (1) Data obtained under section 3 of this act shall be used for statistical, scientific, and medical research purposes.

          (2) The names of persons, physicians, and institutions obtained under section 3 of this act shall be confidential except that medical researchers may use the names of persons, physicians, and institutions when requesting additional information for research studies if those studies have been approved by the institutional review board of the department of social and health services or the institution designated to collect the required information.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Providing information required under section 3 of this act shall not create any liability on the part of the provider nor shall it constitute a breach of confidentiality.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     The department of social and health services shall adopt rules to implement sections 2 through 5 of this act, including but not limited to a definition of cancer.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.     Sections 2 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 70.54 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.     The sum of .......... dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.