23-07 Reportable Diseases
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Such diseases or conditions may include contagious, infectious, sexually transmitted, or chronic
diseases or any illness or injury which may have a significant impact on public health. The state
department of health shall maintain a uniform statewide population-based registry system for the
collection of data pertaining to the incidence, prevalence, risk factors, management, survival,
mortality, and geographic distribution of cancer and reportable benign tumors.23-07-01.1.Reporting of physical or mental disorders.The state department ofhealth shall define disorders characterized by lapses of consciousness, gross physical or mental
impairments for the purposes of the reports hereinafter referred to:1.A physician or other health care provider may report immediately to the department
of transportation in writing, the name, date of birth, and address of every individual
fourteen years of age or over coming before them for examination, attendance, care,
or treatment if there is reasonable cause to believe that the individual due to physical
or mental reason is incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle or diagnosed as a
case of a disorder defined as characterized by lapses of consciousness, gross
physical or mental impairments, and the report is necessary to prevent or lessen a
serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of the individual or the public.2.Such reports as required in this section are for the information of the director of the
department of transportation in determining the eligibility of any person to operate a
motor vehicle on the highways of this state and must be kept confidential and not
divulged to any person or used as evidence in any trial, except that the reports may
be admitted in proceedings under section 39-06-33.3.The physician-patient privilege provided for by rules 501 and 503 of the North
Dakota Rules of Evidence may not be asserted to exclude evidence regarding the
mental or physical incapacity of a person to safely operate a motor vehicle in the
reports as required under the provisions of this section.4.Any physician or other medical professional who fails to make a report or who in
good faith makes a report, gives an opinion or recommendation pursuant to this
section, or participates in any proceeding founded upon this section is immune from
any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred, as a result of such
report, except for perjury.23-07-01.2.Rules.The department may adopt rules under chapter 28-32 for theefficient enforcement of this chapter.23-07-02.Who to report reportable diseases.Except as otherwise provided bysection 23-07-02.1, the following persons or their designees shall report to the state department
of health any reportable disease coming to their knowledge:1.All health care providers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse
practitioners, nurses, dentists, medical examiners or coroners, pharmacists,
emergency medical service providers, and local health officers.2.The director, principal manager, or chief executive officer of:a.Health care institutions, including hospitals, medical centers, clinics, long-term
care facilities, assisted living facilities, or other institutional facilities;b.Medical or diagnostic laboratories;Page No. 1c.Blood bank collection or storage centers;d.Public and private elementary and secondary schools;e.Public and private universities and colleges;f.Health or correctional institutions operated or regulated by municipal, county or
multicounty, state, or federal governments;g.Funeral establishments and mortuaries; andh.Child care facilities or camps.3.The state veterinarian, if the disease may be transmitted directly or indirectly to or
between humans and animals.4.A person having knowledge that a person or persons are suspected of having a
reportable disease may notify the department and provide all information known to
the person reporting concerning the reportable disease or condition of the person or
persons.If the person reporting is the attending physician or the physician's designee, the physician or the
physician's designee shall report not less than twice a week, in the form and manner directed by
the state department of health, the condition of the person afflicted and the state of the disease.
A person making a report in good faith is immune from liability for any damages which may be
caused by that act.23-07-02.1. Reports of human immunodeficiency virus infection - Penalty. Everyattending physician treating an individual known by the physician to have a diagnosis of human
immunodeficiencyvirusinfection,acquiredimmunedeficiencysyndrome,orhumanimmunodeficiency virus-related illness, including death from human immunodeficiency virus
infection, shall make a report on that individual to the state department of health. A person
treating an individual known to have human immunodeficiency virus infection in a hospital, a
clinic, a sanitarium, the physical custody of the department of corrections and rehabilitation, a
regional or local correctional facility or juvenile detention center, the North Dakota youth
correctional center, or other private or public institution shall make a report on that individual to
the facility administrator or the facility administrator's designee. Further disclosure of information
on any individual known to have human immunodeficiency virus infection may only be provided
to medical personnel providing direct care to the individual or as otherwise authorized by law.
The designated official shall, if satisfied that the report is valid, make a report to the department
on each individual having a diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection, acquired
immune deficiency syndrome, or human immunodeficiency virus-related illness, including death
from human immunodeficiency virus infection, unless the diagnosed individual's attending
physician has made such a report. The reports required under this section must contain the
name, date of birth, sex, and address of the individual reported on and the name and address of
the physician or designated official making the report. Failure by a facility to designate an official
to whom reports must be made is an infraction. Any person who in good faith complies with this
section is immune from civil and criminal liability for any action taken in compliance with this
section.23-07-02.2. Confidentiality of reports. A report required by section 23-07-02.1 andheld by the state department of health is confidential information. The information may not be
disclosed, shared with any agency or institution, or made public, upon subpoena, search warrant,
discovery proceedings, or otherwise, except that:1.Disclosure may be made of medical or epidemiological information for statistical
purposes in a manner such that no individual person can be identified;Page No. 22.Disclosure may be made of medical or epidemiological information to the extent
necessary to enforce section 23-07-02.1 and this section and related rules
concerning the treatment, control, and investigation of human immunodeficiency
virus infection by public health officials; or3.Disclosure may be made of medical or epidemiological information to medical
personnel to the extent necessary to protect the health or life of any individual.No officer or employee of the state department of health may be examined in any judicial,
executive, legislative, or other proceeding regarding the existence or content of any individual's
report retained by the department under section 23-07-02.1.23-07-02.3. Emergency reporting.1.The state health officer may issue a temporary order for emergency reporting of
disease conditions or information if the state health officer finds probable cause to
believe there is a threat caused by an imminent or emerging condition affecting the
public health, including actual or threatened terrorism.2.The state health officer may designate who must report, what conditions or
information must be reported, what information must be contained in the report, the
methods and frequency of reporting, and may make any other pertinent requirement.3.The temporary order may be issued and is effective without regard to chapter 28-32
for a period of ninety days, unless earlier revoked by the state health officer.
Emergency rulemaking must be initiated under chapter 28-32 within ninety days of
the order or the order expires. The temporary order and any emergency rulemaking
under this section are effective without the necessity of approval from the health
council.23-07-03. Report of cases of sexually transmitted disease. The superintendent of ahospital, dispensary, or charitable or penal institution, in which there is a case of sexually
transmitted disease, or the superintendent's designee, shall report such case to the nearest
health officer having jurisdiction. The report must be made in the form and manner directed by
the state department of health.23-07-04. Report of reportable disease by township board of health. Repealed byS.L. 1999, ch. 242,