Georgia § 42-1-7 - Notification to transporting law enforcement agency of inmate's or patient's infectious or communicable disease.

§ 42-1-7. Notification to transporting law enforcement agency of inmate's or patient's infectious or communicable disease.

For the purposes of this Code section, the term "infectious or communicable disease" shall include infectious hepatitis, tuberculosis, influenza, measles, chicken pox, meningitis, HIV as defined in Code Section 31-22-9.1, or any sexually transmitted disease enumerated in Code Section 31-17-1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any state or county correctional institution, municipal or county detention facility, or any facility as defined in Code Section 37-3-1 shall notify any state or local law enforcement agency required to transport an inmate or patient if such inmate or patient has been diagnosed as having an infectious or communicable disease. Notification shall be limited to the fact that such inmate or patient has an infectious or communicable disease and whether such disease is airborne or transmissible by blood or other body fluids; provided, however, that the specific disease shall not be disclosed. The Department of Public Health shall provide a guide for appropriate precautions to be taken by any person or persons transporting such inmate or patient and shall develop a form to be used for the purpose of ensuring that such precautions are taken. Information released or obtained pursuant to this Code section shall be privileged and confidential and shall only be released or obtained by the institutions, facilities, or agencies who are parties to the transportation of the patient or inmate. Any person making an unauthorized disclosure of such information shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (Code 1981, § 42-1-7 , enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 1319, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 1-4/HB 228; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 6-3/HB 214; Ga. L. 2020, p. 55, § 8/SB 372.) The 2020 amendment, effective July 1, 2020, substituted "sexually transmitted" for "venereal" in subsection (a). Code Commission notes. - Ga. L. 1991, p. 1319, § 1, Ga. L. 1991, p. 1348, § 1, and Ga. L. 1991, p. 1352, § 1, all purport to enact Code Section 42-1-7. Pursuant to Code Section 28-9-5, Ga. L. 1991, p. 1348, § 1, has been renumbered as Code Section 42-1-8 and Ga. L. 1991, p. 1352, § 1, has been renumbered as Code Section 42-1-9. Law reviews. - For article on the 2011 amendment of this Code section, see 28 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 147 (2011).