The Florida Senate

392.53  Reporting required.--

(1)  Each person who makes a diagnosis of tuberculosis or who treats a person with tuberculosis and each laboratory that performs a test on a specimen that reveals the presence of the tubercule bacilli shall report or cause to be reported such facts to the department in addition to other facts that the department requires by rule to be reported, within a time specified by rule of the department, which period must not exceed 72 hours after the presence of tuberculosis is discovered.

(2)  The department shall adopt rules specifying the information that must be included in a report of tuberculosis, the time within which the report must be filed, and where the report must be filed. The department shall consider the need for information, protection of the privacy and confidentiality of the patient, and the practical ability of persons and laboratories to report in a reasonable fashion. Rules adopted by the department may provide for telephonic, electronic, and written reporting and may establish different time periods and content for each method of reporting.

(3)  A person who reports to the department the name of a person who has tuberculosis is not liable for damages caused by such report, unless the report is made with knowledge that it is false or with reckless disregard of the truthfulness of the report.

(4)  A person who violates this section or the rules adopted under this section may be fined by the department, in the manner prescribed in s. 392.67. The department shall report each violation of this section to the regulatory agency that is responsible for licensing the person or laboratory that commits the violation.

History.--s. 1, ch. 88-389; s. 1, ch. 88-398; s. 2, ch. 93-264; s. 4, ch. 94-320.