The General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1331 aims to address the handling of patient health information within the State-wide Health Information Exchange. Specifically, the bill mandates the Commissioner of Health Strategy to conduct a study to evaluate the potential exclusion of patient health information and medical records related to certain sensitive medical procedures, such as plastic surgery, from the exchange. Additionally, the study will assess current patient participation procedures and explore the implementation of new opt-in or opt-out options for patients regarding their health information.

The bill stipulates that the Commissioner must submit a report detailing the findings of this study to the relevant joint standing committee by February 1, 2026. The new legal language introduced in this bill includes the requirement for the study and the specific focus areas, while there are no deletions from existing law noted in the text provided. The act is set to take effect upon passage.