Ch. 59

2004 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(4) REQUIRE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO BE INFORMED OF THE
LOCATION AND NATURE OF EACH BIOLOGICAL AGENT IN THE REGISTRY THAT IS
LOCATED WITHIN THE LOCAL JURISDICTION;

(4) (5) Provide for the release of SPECIFIED information in the
Biological Agents Registry to:

(I)      State and federal law enforcement agencies and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention pursuant to a communicable disease investigation
commenced or conducted by the Department or other State or federal law
enforcement agency having investigatory authority, or in connection with any
investigation involving release, theft, or loss of biological agents;

(II)     THE MARYLAND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF PLANNING
FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC IN RELATION TO THE RELEASE OF A
BIOLOGICAL AGENT AND THE PREVENTION OF A RELEASE OF A BIOLOGICAL AGENT;
AND

(III)   THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL
SERVICES SYSTEMS FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROVIDING CERTAIN SPECIFIED
INFORMATION TO: A FIRE OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ENTITY, AS DEFINED
IN § 7 101 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE, PERFORMING EMERGENCY SERVICES,
PROCEEDING TO A FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY, OR DISPATCHED ON A CALL FOR
EMERGENCY SERVICES;

1.       A POLICE OFFICER, AS DEFINED IN § 3-201(E) OF THE
PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE, RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY; AND

2.       A FIRE, RESCUE, OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
ENTITY, AS DEFINED IN § 7-101 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE, PERFORMING
EMERGENCY SERVICES, RESPONDING TO A FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY, OR
DISPATCHED ON A CALL FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES;

(5) (6) Establish a system of safeguards that requires persons
possessing, maintaining, and transferring biological agents subject to this subtitle to
comply with the same federal standards that apply to persons registered to transfer
the same agents under federal law; and

(6) (7) Establish a process for persons that possess and maintain
biological agents to alert appropriate authorities of unauthorized possession or
attempted possession of biological agents.

17-604.

(a)     Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, information prepared for or
maintained in the Biological Agents Registry shall be confidential and is not subject
to Title 10, Subtitle 6 of the State Government Article.

(b)     Release of information from the Registry as authorized by regulations
adopted under § 17-602(c)(4) § 17-602(C) of this subtitle shall not render the
information released a public record.

- 306 -