The Task Force may apply for and accept any grants or other moneys to develop and maintain the program and shall work cooperatively with the MO HealthNet Division to apply for and accept federal moneys and other grants for the program.

The vendor shall treat patient dispensation information and any other individually identifiable patient information submitted under this act as protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and any regulations promulgated thereunder. Such information shall only be accessed and utilized in accordance with the privacy and security provisions of HIPAA and the provisions of this act. Such information shall also be considered a closed record under state law.

The patient dispensation information submitted under this act shall only be utilized for the provision of health care services to the patient. Prescribers, dispensers, and other health care providers shall be permitted to access a patient's dispensation information collected by the vendor in the course of providing health care services to the patient. The vendor shall also provide dispensation information to the individual patient, upon his or her request. The MO HealthNet Division shall have access to dispensation information for MO HealthNet recipients.

The vendor shall provide patient dispensation information to any health information exchange operating in the state, upon the request of the health information exchange and at a cost not to exceed the cost of the technology connection or recurring maintenance of the connection. Any health information exchange receiving information under this act shall comply with the provisions of this act regarding privacy and security and permitted uses of dispensation information.

The Task Force may provide data to public and private entities for statistical, research, or educational purposes after removing identifying information.

No patient dispensation information shall be provided to law enforcement or prosecutorial officials or any regulatory body, professional or otherwise, for purposes other than those explicitly set forth in HIPAA and any regulations promulgated thereunder. No dispensation information shall be used to prevent an individual from owning or obtaining a firearm or as the basis for probable cause to obtain an arrest or search warrant as part of a criminal investigation.

Dispensers who knowingly fail to submit the required information or who knowingly submit incorrect dispensation information shall be subject to a penalty of $1,000 per violation. Any persons who are authorized to have patient dispensation information under this act and who purposefully disclose such information or who purposefully use it in a manner and for a purpose in violation of this act shall be guilty of a Class E felony.

These provisions shall supercede any local law, ordinance, order, rule, or regulation in this state for the purpose of monitoring the prescription or dispensation of prescribed controlled substances within the state. Any such program operating prior to August 28, 2021, shall cease operation when the vendor's program is available for utilization by dispensers throughout the state. The Task Force may enter into an agreement with such program to transfer patient dispensation information from the program to the program operated by the vendor under this act.

These provisions are substantially similar to CCS/SS#2/HB 1693 (2020).

This act also modifies the expiration date of the RX Cares for Missouri Program from August 28, 2019, to August 28, 2026.

This provision is identical to SB 519 (2021).

SARAH HASKINS