SB1 Alabama 2021 Session

Sponsors

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Contact tracing, privacy protections established

Description

<p class="bill_description"> This bill would authorize the State Health Officer or any county health officer to employ or engage contact tracers to trace those individuals who may have come into contact with an individual infected with COVID-19</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would provide privacy protections for infected individuals and others whose personal information is collected through contact tracing</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would require confidentiality of personal information collected through contact tracing</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would provide that cooperation in the contact tracing process is voluntary, and any individual who refuses or fails to cooperate in contact tracing is immune from liability arising from that refusal</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would require the State Board of Health to adopt rules</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would provide an expiration date of the act</p><p class="bill_description"> Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose</p><p class="bill_description"> The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment</p><p class="bill_entitled_an_act"> Relating to contact tracing of the COVID-19 virus; to authorize the State Health Officer or any county health officer to employ or engage contact tracers to trace contacts of individuals infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic; to provide privacy protections for individuals whose personal information is collected through contact tracing; to require confidentiality of collected contact data; to provide that cooperation in contact tracing is voluntary; to provide immunity to individuals who refuse or fail to cooperate in contact tracing; to require the State Board of Health to adopt rules; to provide a limited duration of the act; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended. </p>

Subjects

Coronavirus