Human Rights Measure

According to this bill, “[a]ny electronic tool used by a health officer . . . for the purpose of reporting cases of communicable disease to the State Department of Public Health, . . . shall include the capacity to collect and report data relating to sexual orientation and gender identity as reported pursuant to subdivision” and “a health care provider . . . that knows of or is in attendance on a case or suspected case of any of the diseases or conditions listed . . . shall report to the health officer for the jurisdiction in which the patient resides, the patient’s sexual orientation and gender identity, if known.” Finally the Bill notes that “[t]o ensure public health officials efficiently and timely collect and report data relating to the sexual orientation and gender identity of individuals diagnosed with certain communicable diseases and because studies show that the LGBTQ community is uniquely susceptible to the economic and health impacts of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.” The state’s Health Equity Dashboard now includes data for reported COVID cases and deaths sorted by sexual orientation and gender identity.