HB 23-1031

House Bill 23-1031, which has been approved by the governor and will take effect on August 7, 2023, changes current law by allowing mental health professionals to avoid reporting information about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if they are not involved in testing, diagnosing, or treating patients for these conditions. This means that therapists and counselors who do not handle medical aspects related to STIs will no longer have to report such information to public health agencies. The bill affects mental health professionals specifically and aims to protect patient confidentiality in non-medical settings.

Official Summary

Under current law, every health-care provider is required to report specified information about an individual known to the provider to have a diagnosis of or a positive test for a sexually transmitted infection to the department of public health and environment or a local public health agency. The act exempts from this reporting requirement a mental health professional who is not engaged in testing a patient for, diagnosing a patient with, or treating a patient with a sexually transmitted infection. APPROVED by Governor April 10, 2023 EFFECTIVE August 7, 2023 NOTE: This act was passed without a safety clause and takes effect 90 days after sine die. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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