ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                              Ch. 60

(C) A PERSON OR ENTITY TO WHOM SPECIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN
RELEASED FROM THE REGISTRY AS AUTHORIZED BY REGULATIONS ADOPTED
UNDER § 17-602(C)(4) § 17-602(C) OF THIS SUBTITLE MAY NOT RELEASE THE
INFORMATION UNLESS THE RELEASE IS APPROVED BY THE BIOLOGICAL AGENTS
REGISTRY PROGRAM.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene shall adopt regulations to implement § 17-602(c)(4) of
the Health - General Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, in consultation with
local jurisdictions, and shall consider current standards and security measures
followed by local officials and emergency response agencies when obtaining
information about facilities within their jurisdictions that contain nuclear and
chemically hazardous materials.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with the Governor's Office of Homeland
Security, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, the Maryland Institute for
Emergency Medical. Services Systems, the Maryland Department of the Environment,
the Maryland Association of Counties, the Maryland Municipal League, and local
jurisdictions, shall adopt regulations to implement § 17-602(c)(5)(iii) of the Health -
General Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, that establish procedures for
identifying, distributing, and maintaining the confidentiality of secure information
contained in the Biological Agents Registry.

SECTION 2. 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect October 1, 2004.

Approved April 13, 2004.

CHAPTER 60
(House Bill 669)

AN ACT concerning

Health Insurance - HIPAA - Maryland Health Insurance Plan - Alternative

Mechanism

FOR the purpose of making the Maryland Health Insurance Plan the alternative to
the standard coverage for eligible individuals under the federal Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as required by certain
provisions of law; defining certain terms; repealing certain definitions; deleting
certain provisions made unnecessary under the alternative mechanism;
clarifying certain continuation of coverage provisions applying to certain
individuals; making certain stylistic changes; and generally relating to the
Maryland Health Insurance Plan as an alternative to the standard coverage
required under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

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