Florida Senate - 2021 SB 1264



By Senator Taddeo





40-01305-21 20211264__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to COVID-19 data reporting; requiring
3 the Department of Health to issue certain daily
4 reports on its website; providing requirements for the
5 reports; providing that the reports are public
6 records; providing construction; providing an
7 effective date.
8
9 WHEREAS, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe
10 acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which since first
11 identified in late 2019, has infected millions of people around
12 the world, and
13 WHEREAS, COVID-19 has caused or contributed to the deaths
14 of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States,
15 including tens of thousands of Floridians, and
16 WHEREAS, the Department of Health is one of the agencies
17 essential to the state’s efforts to keep residents and visitors
18 safe from COVID-19, and
19 WHEREAS, duties of the Department of Health include, but
20 are not limited to, monitoring, coordinating, and administering
21 COVID-19 testing and vaccinations; compiling testing results,
22 vaccination data, and demographic information; and providing the
23 public with daily updates of such testing, vaccination, and
24 demographic data, along with any other statistical information
25 related to COVID-19, and
26 WHEREAS, the Department of Health has partnered with
27 certain entities, including counties, to facilitate, advance,
28 and expand the reach of testing and vaccination efforts across
29 this state, and
30 WHEREAS, it is critical that certain demographic
31 information related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination be
32 measured and released at the county level, and
33 WHEREAS, providing such information at the county level
34 will allow a more effective assessment of where to establish
35 testing and vaccination sites, will enable the identification of
36 areas requiring an enhanced presence of testing or vaccination
37 sites based on aggregate data, and will ensure that testing and
38 vaccination sites are located in the areas of greatest need and
39 demand, NOW, THEREFORE,
40
41 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
42
43 Section 1. COVID-19 daily data reporting.—
44 (1) The Department of Health shall issue daily reports on
45 its website which include, at a minimum, aggregate testing and
46 vaccination data at the county level in one chart, including the
47 birth year, sex, race, ethnicity, and county of each individual
48 who is tested or vaccinated.
49 (2) The reports under subsection (1) are public records
50 subject to s. 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, and shall be made
51 available upon request in accordance with that section.
52 (3) Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize
53 the release or publication of personal identifying information,
54 biometric identification information, or other personal health
55 information protected under state or federal law.
56 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.