HOUSE BILL No. 5136

 

November 6, 2013, Introduced by Rep. Lori and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.

 

     A bill to amend 1974 PA 258, entitled

 

"Mental health code,"

 

(MCL 330.1001 to 330.2106) by adding section 141a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 141a. (1) On or before March 31, 2014, the department

 

shall develop a standard release form for exchanging confidential

 

mental health and substance abuse disorder information for use by

 

all public and private agencies, departments, corporations, or

 

individuals that are involved with treatment of an individual

 

experiencing serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance,

 

developmental disability, or substance use disorder. All parties

 

described in this subsection shall honor and accept the standard

 

release form created by the department under this section for the

 


purpose for which it was created.

 

     (2) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that

 

added this section, the department shall create a workgroup to

 

implement the provisions of this section.

 

     (3) The workgroup created in subsection (2) shall meet

 

periodically, as the department considers necessary, but not less

 

than once a year.

 

     (4) In developing the standard release form under subsection

 

(1), the department shall consider all of the following:

 

     (a) Existing and potential technologies that could be used to

 

securely transmit a standard release form.

 

     (b) The national standards pertaining to electronic release of

 

confidential information, including protecting a patient's identity

 

and privacy in accordance with the health insurance portability and

 

accountability act of 1996, Public Law 104-191.

 

     (c) Any prior release forms and methodologies used in this

 

state.

 

     (d) Any prior release forms and methodologies developed by

 

federal agencies.

 

     (5) The standard release form shall be available in both

 

electronic and paper form.

 

     (6) Any transmission of a standard release form via electronic

 

media shall be accepted as an original by the party receiving the

 

standard release form.