Sec. 19a-582. General consent required for HIV-related testing. Counseling
requirements. Exceptions. (a) Except as required pursuant to section 19a-586, a person
who has provided general consent as described in this section for the performance of
medical procedures and tests is not required to also sign or be presented with a specific
informed consent form relating to medical procedures or tests to determine human immunodeficiency virus infection or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus. General consent shall include instruction to the patient that: (1) As part of the medical
procedures or tests, the patient may be tested for human immunodeficiency virus, and
(2) such testing is voluntary and that the patient can choose not to be tested for human
immunodeficiency virus or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus. General consent that includes HIV-related testing shall be obtained without undue inducement or
any element of compulsion, fraud, deceit, duress or other form of constraint or coercion.
If a patient declines an HIV-related test, such decision by the patient shall be documented
in the medical record. The consent of a parent or guardian shall not be a prerequisite to
testing of a minor. The laboratory shall report the test result to the person who orders
the performance of the test.
(b) A person ordering the performance of an HIV-related test shall not be held liable
for ordering a test without specific informed consent if a good faith effort is made to
convey the instruction required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
(c) At the time of communicating the test result to the subject of the test, a person
ordering the performance of an HIV-related test shall provide the subject of the test or
the person authorized to consent to health care for the subject with counseling or referrals
for counseling, as needed: (1) For coping with the emotional consequences of learning
the result; (2) regarding the discrimination problems that disclosure of the result could
cause; (3) for behavior change to prevent transmission or contraction of HIV infection;
(4) to inform such person of available medical treatments and medical services; (5)
regarding local or community-based HIV/AIDS support services agencies; (6) to work
towards the goal of involving a minor's parents or legal guardian in the decision to seek
and in the ongoing provision of medical treatment; and (7) regarding the need of the
test subject to notify his partners and, as appropriate, provide assistance or referrals for
assistance in notifying partners; except that if the subject of the test is a minor who was
tested without the consent of his parents or guardian, such counseling shall be provided
to such minor at the time of communicating such test result to such minor. A health care
provider or health facility shall not withhold test results from the protected individual.
The protected individual may refuse to receive his test result but the person ordering
the performance of the test shall encourage him to receive the result and to adopt behavior
changes that will allow him to protect himself and others from infection.
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the performance of an HIV-related test:
(1) By licensed medical personnel when the subject is unable to grant or withhold
consent and no other person is available who is authorized to consent to health care
for the individual and the test results are needed for diagnostic purposes to provide
appropriate urgent care, except that in such cases the counseling, referrals and notification of test results described in subsection (c) of this section shall be provided as soon
as practical;
(2) By a health care provider or health facility in relation to the procuring, processing, distributing or use of a human body or a human body part, including organs,
tissues, eyes, bones, arteries, blood, semen, or other body fluids, for use in medical
research or therapy, or for transplantation to individuals, provided if the test results are
communicated to the subject, the counseling, referrals and notification of test results
described in subsection (c) of this section shall be provided;
(3) For the purpose of research if the testing is performed in a manner by which the
identity of the test subject is not known and is unable to be retrieved by the researcher;
(4) On a deceased person when such test is conducted to determine the cause or
circumstances of death or for epidemiological purposes;
(5) In cases where a health care provider or other person, including volunteer emergency medical services, fire and public safety personnel, in the course of his occupational
duties has had a significant exposure, provided the following criteria are met: (A) The
worker is able to document significant exposure during performance of his occupation,
(B) the worker completes an incident report within forty-eight hours of exposure identifying the parties to the exposure, witnesses, time, place and nature of the event, (C) the
worker submits to a baseline HIV test within seventy-two hours of the exposure and is
negative on that test, (D) the patient's or person's physician or, if the patient or person
does not have a personal physician or if the patient's or person's physician is unavailable,
another physician or health care provider has approached the patient or person and
sought voluntary consent and the patient or person has refused to consent to testing,
except in an exposure where the patient or person is deceased, (E) an exposure evaluation
group determines that the criteria specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (D) and (F)
of this subdivision are met and that the worker has a significant exposure to the blood
of a patient or person and the patient or person, or the patient's or person's legal guardian,
refuses to grant informed consent for an HIV test. If the patient or person is under the
care or custody of the health facility, correctional facility or other institution and a sample
of the patient's blood is available, said blood shall be tested. If no sample of blood is
available, and the patient is under the care or custody of a health facility, correctional
facility or other institution, the patient shall have a blood sample drawn at the health
facility, correctional facility or other institution and tested. No member of the exposure
evaluation group who determines that a worker has sustained a significant exposure and
authorized the HIV testing of a patient or other person, nor the health facility, correctional
facility or other institution, nor any person in a health facility or other institution who
relies in good faith on the group's determination and performs that test shall have any
liability as a result of his action carried out pursuant to this section, unless such person
acted in bad faith. If the patient or person is not under the care or custody of a health
facility, correctional facility or other institution and a physician not directly involved
in the exposure certifies in writing that the criteria specified in subparagraphs (A), (B),
(C), (D) and (F) of this subdivision are met and that a significant exposure has occurred,
the worker may seek a court order for testing pursuant to subdivision (8) of this subsection, (F) the worker would be able to take meaningful immediate action, if results are
known, which could not otherwise be taken, as defined in regulations adopted pursuant
to section 19a-589, (G) the fact that an HIV test was given as a result of an accidental
exposure and the results of that test shall not appear in a patient's or person's medical
record unless such test result is relevant to the medical care the person is receiving at
that time in a health facility or correctional facility or other institution, (H) the counseling
described in subsection (c) of this section shall be provided but the patient or person
may choose not to be informed about the result of the test, and (I) the cost of the HIV
test shall be borne by the employer of the potentially exposed worker;
(6) In facilities operated by the Department of Correction if the facility physician
determines that testing is needed for diagnostic purposes, to determine the need for
treatment or medical care specific to an HIV-related illness, including prophylactic
treatment of HIV infection to prevent further progression of disease, provided no reasonable alternative exists that will achieve the same goal;
(7) In facilities operated by the Department of Correction if the facility physician
and chief administrator of the facility determine that the behavior of the inmate poses
a significant risk of transmission to another inmate or has resulted in a significant exposure of another inmate of the facility and no reasonable alternative exists that will achieve
the same goal. No involuntary testing shall take place pursuant to subdivisions (6) and
(7) of this subsection until reasonable effort has been made to secure informed consent.
When testing without consent takes place pursuant to subdivisions (6) and (7) of this
subsection, the counseling referrals and notification of test results described in subsection (c) of this section shall, nonetheless be provided;
(8) Under a court order which is issued in compliance with the following provisions:
(A) No court of this state shall issue such order unless the court finds a clear and imminent
danger to the public health or the health of a person and that the person has demonstrated
a compelling need for the HIV-related test result which cannot be accommodated by
other means. In assessing compelling need, the court shall weigh the need for a test
result against the privacy interests of the test subject and the public interest which may
be disserved by involuntary testing, (B) pleadings pertaining to the request for an involuntary test shall substitute a pseudonym for the true name of the subject to be tested.
The disclosure to the parties of the subject's true name shall be communicated confidentially, in documents not filed with the court, (C) before granting any such order, the
court shall provide the individual on whom a test result is being sought with notice and
a reasonable opportunity to participate in the proceeding if he is not already a party, (D)
court proceedings as to involuntary testing shall be conducted in camera unless the
subject of the test agrees to a hearing in open court or unless the court determines that
a public hearing is necessary to the public interest and the proper administration of
justice;
(9) When the test is conducted by any life or health insurer or health care center for
purposes of assessing a person's fitness for insurance coverage offered by such insurer
or health care center; or
(10) When the test is subsequent to a prior confirmed test and the subsequent test is
part of a series of repeated testing for the purposes of medical monitoring and treatment,
provided (A) the patient has previously given general consent that includes HIV-related
tests, (B) the patient, after consultation with the health care provider, has declined reiteration of the general consent, counseling and education requirements of this section, and
(C) a notation to that effect has been entered into the patient's medical record.
(P.A. 89-246, S. 2; P.A. 92-119, S. 2, 3; P.A. 93-291, S. 3; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 97-111;
P.A. 09-133, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 92-119 amended Subsec. (a) to clarify that consent of a parent is not a prerequisite to testing of a minor,
and added Subsec. (d)(5) concerning involving a minor's parent or guardian in decisions and provision of medical treatment
and to require counseling for a minor at the time of communicating test results; P.A. 93-291 amended Subsec. (e)(5) to
include volunteer emergency medical services, fire and public safety personnel in occupational exposure provisions, to
allow for action by another physician or health care provider in the event a person has no personal physician or if the
personal physician is not available and in Subpara. (D) to make technical changes; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of
health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced
Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public
Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 97-111 added Subsec. (e)(10) re exemption for repeat tests; P.A. 09-133 amended
Subsec. (a) by replacing provisions re specific informed consent for HIV-related testing with provisions re general consent
for such testing and by deleting provisions re obtaining written consent, redesignated provision of Subsec. (a) re liability
for ordering HIV-related test as Subsec. (b) and added provision therein re specific informed consent, deleted former
Subsecs. (b) and (c) and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as Subsecs. (c) and (d), amended redesignated Subsec.
(c) by inserting "as needed" re counseling or referrals for counseling, adding "and medical services" in Subdiv. (4), adding
new Subdiv. (5) re local or community-based HIV/AIDS support service agencies and redesignating existing Subdivs. (5)
and (6) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), amended redesignated Subsec. (d)(10) by replacing provisions re informed consent with
provisions re general consent, deleted former Subsec. (f) and made conforming and technical changes, effective July 1, 2009.
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Sec. 19a-585. Requirements for disclosure of HIV-related information. (a)
Whenever confidential HIV-related information is disclosed it shall be accompanied by
a statement in writing, whenever possible, which includes the following or substantially
similar language: "This information has been disclosed to you from records whose confidentiality is protected by state law. State law prohibits you from making any further
disclosure of it without the specific written consent of the person to whom it pertains,
or as otherwise permitted by said law. A general authorization for the release of medical
or other information is NOT sufficient for this purpose." An oral disclosure shall be
accompanied or followed by such a notice within ten days.
(b) Except for disclosures made to a federal, state, or local health officer when such
disclosure is mandated or authorized by federal or state law or to persons reviewing
information or records in the ordinary course of ensuring that a health facility is in
compliance with applicable quality of care standards or any other authorized program
evaluation, program monitoring or service review, a notation of all such disclosures
shall be placed in the medical record or with any record of an HIV-related test result of
a protected individual, who shall be informed of such disclosures upon request; provided
for disclosures made to governmental agents requiring information necessary for payments to be made on behalf of patients or clients pursuant to contract or law, such
notation need only be entered at the time the disclosure is first made.
(c) Nothing in this chapter shall limit a person's or agency's responsibility to report,
investigate or disclose child protective services information pursuant to sections 17a-101, 17a-101a to 17a-101k, inclusive, 17a-103 and 46b-129a and regulations adopted
pursuant to said sections.
(d) The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not be applicable
to disclosures made pursuant to subdivision (11) of subsection (a) of section 19a-583.
(e) Except as provided in subparagraph (G) of subdivision (5) of subsection (d) of
section 19a-582, nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the recording of HIV and AIDS-related information in the medical chart or medical records of a protected individual or
the listing of AIDS, HIV-related illness or HIV infection in a certificate of death or
autopsy report. This chapter shall not be construed to modify regulations relating to
access to death certificates or autopsy reports. This chapter shall not be construed to
modify the provisions of section 19a-25 or 19a-221.
(P.A. 89-246, S. 5; P.A. 93-291, S. 6; P.A. 96-246, S. 30; P.A. 09-133, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 93-291 made technical changes in Subsecs. (c) and (e); P.A. 96-246 amended Subsec. (c) by adding
references to Secs. 17a-101a to 17a-101k, inclusive, and 46b-129a; P.A. 09-133 amended Subsec. (e) by making a technical
change, effective July 1, 2009.
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Sec. 19a-588. Notification of procedures to certain municipal employees. Each
town shall notify its police, fire and emergency medical services personnel of the procedures under subdivision (5) of subsection (d) of section 19a-582 and subdivision (7) of
subsection (a) of section 19a-583 pertaining to workers who have experienced a significant exposure.
(P.A. 89-246, S. 8; P.A. 09-133, S. 3.)
History: P.A. 09-133 made a technical change, effective July 1, 2009.
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