HB389 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

April WeaverSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Health care workers, infected health care workers, add Hepatitis C infection to definition of, Secs. 22-11A-60, 22-11A-61, 22-11A-62, 22-11A-63, 22-11A-66, 22-11A-67, 22-11A-73 am'd.

Summary

HB389 adds hepatitis C to the diseases that make a health care worker 'infected' for reporting purposes and lets the health board require additional disease reporting in the future.

What This Bill Does

It expands who must report to the State Health Officer by including hepatitis C infection as part of an infected health care worker, and it authorizes the State Board of Health to designate by rule other diseases that must be reported. Infected workers who perform invasive procedures must notify the State Health Officer, and the state may investigate the worker’s practice. If invasive procedures are involved, an expert review panel may be formed to evaluate the worker’s procedures and set reasonable restrictions. The State Health Officer can issue final orders with conditions or limits on a worker’s practice, and those orders must be shared with the worker’s employer and licensing boards; the worker can appeal the decision, and licensing boards can take action if the worker violates the article.

Who It Affects

• Infected health care workers (including those with hepatitis C, hepatitis B, HIV, or other diseases designated by the Board) who must report to the State Health Officer, may be investigated, restricted, or disciplined based on findings.
• Health care facilities, employers, licensing boards, and the State Health Officer who must cooperate with investigations, implement any restrictions, and share final orders and records related to the infected worker.

Key Provisions

• Adds hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to the definition of an infected health care worker for reporting to the State Health Officer.
• Empowers the State Board of Health to designate by rule other diseases that infected health care workers must report.
• Infected health care workers who perform invasive procedures must notify the State Health Officer; physicians caring for infected workers must also notify.
• The State Health Officer may investigate the infected worker and form an expert review panel if invasive procedures are involved; panel considers procedures, universal precautions, injury history, prior transmissions, and CDC guidelines.
• The expert panel can recommend restrictions or conditions on the worker’s practice; the State Health Officer issues a final order with required compliance by the worker and copies to the employer and licensing boards.
• The worker may appeal the final order to the State Committee of Public Health in executive session; the committee can modify or uphold the order.
• Licensing boards may revoke, suspend, or restrict a worker’s license for violations of this article.
• Records related to infected workers and needed by the board or panel may be requested, limited to three years or less; various parties involved must provide requested documents.
• Insurance reporting requirements are not changed for life, health, or disability insurers regarding infected applicants or insured individuals.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Hepatitis