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Subcommittee takes House Bill 1593 by for the day after privacy concerns about electronic portals
Summary
House Bill 1593, which would modernize parental access to minor records by allowing portal access where available, was taken by for the day after members raised concerns about segregating sensitive provider notes and protecting exempt health information in electronic systems.
Delegate Dougie Kent presented House Bill 1593, which would update code to make access to a minor’s records available via an electronic portal where the portal is provided. The bill does not expand existing access rights; the patron said access limitations already in state law (for example, for certain health or protective circumstances) remain in force.
Members raised privacy and process questions. Delegate Keith Gamora and others asked how therapeutic or safety-sensitive notes that providers consider exempt under current law would be segregated in a portal. Legislative Services advised that existing privacy provisions (cited as in title 32.1 and subsection B of § 20-124.6 regarding health records) may already provide mechanisms to withhold harmful information, but committee members sought explicit assurances that portals could and would segregate exempt material.
Because of the outstanding privacy and implementation questions, the subcommittee voted to take HB 1593 "by for the day" to allow time to craft clarifying language or confirm existing protections.
