Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1264
       
       
        
       By Senator Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       
       40-01305-21                                           20211264__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to COVID-19 data reporting; requiring
    3         the Department of Health to issue certain daily
    4         reports on its website; providing requirements for the
    5         reports; providing that the reports are public
    6         records; providing construction; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8  
    9         WHEREAS, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe
   10  acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which since first
   11  identified in late 2019, has infected millions of people around
   12  the world, and
   13         WHEREAS, COVID-19 has caused or contributed to the deaths
   14  of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States,
   15  including tens of thousands of Floridians, and
   16         WHEREAS, the Department of Health is one of the agencies
   17  essential to the state’s efforts to keep residents and visitors
   18  safe from COVID-19, and
   19         WHEREAS, duties of the Department of Health include, but
   20  are not limited to, monitoring, coordinating, and administering
   21  COVID-19 testing and vaccinations; compiling testing results,
   22  vaccination data, and demographic information; and providing the
   23  public with daily updates of such testing, vaccination, and
   24  demographic data, along with any other statistical information
   25  related to COVID-19, and
   26         WHEREAS, the Department of Health has partnered with
   27  certain entities, including counties, to facilitate, advance,
   28  and expand the reach of testing and vaccination efforts across
   29  this state, and
   30         WHEREAS, it is critical that certain demographic
   31  information related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination be
   32  measured and released at the county level, and
   33         WHEREAS, providing such information at the county level
   34  will allow a more effective assessment of where to establish
   35  testing and vaccination sites, will enable the identification of
   36  areas requiring an enhanced presence of testing or vaccination
   37  sites based on aggregate data, and will ensure that testing and
   38  vaccination sites are located in the areas of greatest need and
   39  demand, NOW, THEREFORE,
   40  
   41  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   42  
   43         Section 1. COVID-19 daily data reporting.—
   44         (1) The Department of Health shall issue daily reports on
   45  its website which include, at a minimum, aggregate testing and
   46  vaccination data at the county level in one chart, including the
   47  birth year, sex, race, ethnicity, and county of each individual
   48  who is tested or vaccinated.
   49         (2) The reports under subsection (1) are public records
   50  subject to s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and shall be made
   51  available upon request in accordance with that section.
   52         (3) Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize
   53  the release or publication of personal identifying information,
   54  biometric identification information, or other personal health
   55  information protected under state or federal law.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.