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SB-504 • 2026

Communicable diseases: HIV reporting.

Communicable diseases: HIV reporting.

Healthcare Parental Rights Privacy
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Laird
Last action
2025-10-13
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 766, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how patient information will be shared or implemented, leaving some aspects open.

HIV Reporting Rules

This law allows health care providers to share patient information with local and state public health agencies if the information is needed for reporting, investigating, controlling, or monitoring HIV cases.

What This Bill Does

  • Health care providers can now share personal details about patients who have HIV with local or state health departments if the disclosure is necessary to complete or supplement an HIV case report.
  • Providers can also share patient information when it helps public health agencies investigate, control, or monitor diseases better.
  • The law updates existing rules about sharing confidential health records related to HIV for public health purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health care providers who treat patients with HIV
  • Local and state public health agencies
  • Patients with HIV whose information may be shared

Terms To Know

HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a virus that weakens the immune system.
Local Health Officer
A public health official responsible for monitoring and controlling diseases in their area.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to HIV cases that have already been reported to local health officers.
  • It does not change how patient information is kept confidential except when necessary for public health reasons.
  • The exact details of how this will be implemented are still being figured out.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 766, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-13 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-17 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2715.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-08 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2988.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended.

  9. 2025-08-25 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to third reading.

  10. 2025-08-25 California Legislative Information

    From consent calendar on motion of Assembly Member Garcia.

  11. 2025-08-21 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  12. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 20).

  13. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 16). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. 2025-06-26 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.

  15. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 24).

  16. 2025-06-12 California Legislative Information

    June 17 hearing postponed by committee.

  17. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and P. & C.P.

  18. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  19. 2025-05-08 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1050.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  20. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

  21. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.

  22. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 5.

  23. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  24. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 835.) (April 22).

  25. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  26. 2025-04-03 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 22.

  27. 2025-03-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  28. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 566.) (March 26).

  29. 2025-03-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing March 26.

  30. 2025-02-26 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on HEALTH and JUD.

  31. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  32. 2025-02-19 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 504, Laird.
Communicable diseases: HIV reporting.
Existing law requires all health care providers and laboratories to report cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to the local health officer and requires the local health officer to report unduplicated HIV cases to the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires public health records related to HIV or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), containing personally identifying information, that were developed or acquired by a state or local public health agency, or an agent of that agency, to be confidential and not disclosed, except as otherwise provided by law for public health purposes or pursuant to a written authorization by the person who is the subject of the record or by their guardian or conservator. Existing law authorizes certain state or local public health officials to disclose those records to other local, state, or federal public health
agencies or to medical researchers when the confidential information is necessary to carry out specified duties of the agency or researcher, including in the investigation, control, or surveillance of disease.
This bill would additionally authorize a health care provider of a patient with an HIV infection that has already been reported to a local health officer as described above to disclose identifying information about the patient to a local health jurisdiction or the department if the disclosure is necessary to complete or supplement an HIV case report or for the local health jurisdiction or the department to carry out its duties in the investigation, control, or surveillance of disease, or the coordination of, linkage to, or reengagement in care for a person, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions.

Current Bill Text

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