HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch

California Communicable Disease Reporting Laws

The following is the text of the law that mandates reporting, and instructions for how to report a case:

Title 17, California Code of Regulations, Section 2500
Reportable Diseases and Conditions

2500. REPORTING TO THE LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.

2500 (b) It shall be the duty of every health care provider, knowing or in attendance on a case or suspected case of any of the diseases or conditions listed below, to report to the local health officer for the jurisdiction where the patient resides. Where no health care provider is in attendance, any individual having the knowledge of a person who is suspected to be suffering from one of the diseases or conditions listed below may make such a report to the local health officer for the jurisdiction where the patient resides.

2500 (c) The administrator of each health facility, clinic or other setting where more than one health care provider may know of a case, a suspected case or an outbreak of disease within the facility shall establish and be responsible for administrative procedures to assure that reports are made to the local health officer.

2500 (a) (14) 'Health care provider' means a physician and surgeon, a veterinarian, a podiatrist, a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, a registered nurse, a nurse midwife, a school nurse, an infection control practitioner, a medical examiner, a coroner, or a dentist.

 

Announcement: Updates to Title 17, Sections 2500 and 2505 of the California Health and Safety Code

Effective July 28, 2020, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has updated Title 17 Sections 2500 and 2505 of the Health and Safety Code as follows:

  • Sexual orientation and gender identity are now required data elements for provider reports:
    • Current gender identity (choices are: Male; Female; Trans male/Transman; Trans female/Transwoman; Genderqueer or non-binary; Identity not listed; Declined to answer; Unknown)
    • Sex assigned at birth (choices are: Male; Female; Declined to answer; Unknown)
    • Sexual orientation (choices are: Heterosexual or straight; Bisexual; Gay, lesbian, or same gender loving; Orientation not listed; Questioning/unsure/patient doesn’t know; Declined to answer; Unknown)
  • Race and ethnicity are now separate data elements in provider reports.
  • Laboratories are required to report race and ethnicity information.

CDPH enacted these changes in order to better understand and address health disparities in California. Like many health conditions, STDs are associated with significant health disparities, with disproportionate impacts on youth, persons of color, and men who have sex with men (MSM). For further information about the impact of STDs on different communities in San Diego County, please refer to the 2020 STD Surveillance Data Slides.

For more information, please refer to the letter to healthcare providers from CDPH (disseminated on July 28, 2020) that accompanies this report and CDPH news release.

 

For more information, call (619) 692-8501 or send us an email.

Last updated, March 2, 2022.