2022 New York Laws
PBH - Public Health
Article 5 - Laboratories
Title 5 - Clinical Laboratory and Blood Banking Services
576-C - Electronic Reporting of Disease and Specimen Submission.

§  576-c.  Electronic reporting of disease and specimen submission. 1.
  Whenever a clinical laboratory or blood bank is  otherwise  required  by
  this  chapter to report evidence of a disease or health condition to the
  commissioner or a local health officer, the  laboratory  director  shall
  report  the test results and such data elements as are determined by the
  commissioner to be necessary as authorized by law. All reports shall  be
  sent  electronically  to  the department in a standards based electronic
  format, using a network, communications protocol,  clinical  syntax  and
  vocabulary  all  as determined by the commissioner to be compatible with
  national health information standards promulgated by the federal centers
  for disease control and prevention and  the  department  of  health  and
  human  services.  Reports shall be submitted on a schedule determined by
  the commissioner.
2. Clinical laboratories  and  blood  banks  may  continue  to  submit
  reports in paper copy to the commissioner and/or local health officer as
  otherwise  required  by  this  chapter until the earlier of the date the
  laboratory  director  receives  notice  that  the  laboratory  has  been
  certified  to report electronically or one year after the effective date
  of this section. Thereafter, all reports shall be sent electronically to
  the department.
3. In the event the system for electronic reporting is unavailable for
  any reason, including lack of certification  for  electronic  reporting,
  clinical  laboratories  and  blood banks shall make reports to the local
  health officer  of  the  county  of  the  patient's  residence  and  the
  commissioner   using   an   alternate   mechanism   determined   by  the
  commissioner.
4. Whenever the commissioner or a local health officer determines that
  supplemental testing is necessary to confirm evidence of  a  disease  or
  health  condition  otherwise required to be reported to the commissioner
  or a local health officer  pursuant  to  this  chapter,  or  to  further
  identify  the characteristics of a causative agent for reasons of public
  health protection, the laboratory  shall  submit  all  or  part  of  the
  specimen  or  its derivatives with patient identifiers to the department
  or its designee, or the local health officer or his or her designee,  in
  a manner and as directed by the commissioner.
5.  The  commissioner  may  adopt  rules  and regulations necessary to
  implement the provisions of this section.