{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/32.1-127.1_04.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/32.1-127.1_04.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/32.1-127.1_04.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/32.1-127.1_04.html"}],"law_id":84892,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84892,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-127.1:04","catch_line":"Use or disclosure of certain protected health information required","history":"2002, c. 835; 2003, c. 464; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2012, cc. 803, 835.","full_text":"A\n\nThe coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and the delivery of health care benefits are hereby declared to be (i) necessary public health activities; (ii) necessary health oversight activities for the integrity of the health care system; and (iii) necessary to prevent serious harm and serious threats to the health and safety of individuals and the public.B\n\nThe Departments of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services, and the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof shall establish a secure system for sharing protected health information that may be necessary for the coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and for the delivery of health care benefits when such protected information concerns individuals who (i) have contracted a reportable disease, including exposure to a toxic substance, as required by the Board of Health pursuant to § 32.1-35 or other disease or disability required to be reported by law; (ii) are the subjects of public health surveillance, public health investigations, or public health interventions or are applicants for or recipients of medical assistance services; (iii) have been or are the victims of child abuse or neglect or domestic violence; or (iv) may present a serious threat to health or safety of a person or the public or may be subject to a serious threat to their health or safety. For the purposes of this section, “public health interventions” shall include the services provided through the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof.\n\t\t\tPursuant to the regulations concerning patient privacy promulgated by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, covered entities may disclose protected health information to the secure system without obtaining consent or authorization for such disclosure. Such protected health information shall be used exclusively for the purposes established in this section.C\n\nThe Office of the Attorney General shall advise the Departments of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services and the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof, in the implementation of this section.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":304152,"text":"The coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and the delivery of health care benefits are hereby declared to be (i) necessary public health activities; (ii) necessary health oversight activities for the integrity of the health care system; and (iii) necessary to prevent serious harm and serious threats to the health and safety of individuals and the public.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":304153,"text":"The Departments of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services, and the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof shall establish a secure system for sharing protected health information that may be necessary for the coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and for the delivery of health care benefits when such protected information concerns individuals who (i) have contracted a reportable disease, including exposure to a toxic substance, as required by the Board of Health pursuant to § 32.1-35 or other disease or disability required to be reported by law; (ii) are the subjects of public health surveillance, public health investigations, or public health interventions or are applicants for or recipients of medical assistance services; (iii) have been or are the victims of child abuse or neglect or domestic violence; or (iv) may present a serious threat to health or safety of a person or the public or may be subject to a serious threat to their health or safety. For the purposes of this section, “public health interventions” shall include the services provided through the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof.\n\t\t\tPursuant to the regulations concerning patient privacy promulgated by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, covered entities may disclose protected health information to the secure system without obtaining consent or authorization for such disclosure. Such protected health information shall be used exclusively for the purposes established in this section.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":304154,"text":"The Office of the Attorney General shall advise the Departments of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services and the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof, in the implementation of this section.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":12729,"edition_id":1,"name":"Hospital and Nursing Home Licensure and Inspection","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12728,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":202857,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12729,"identifier":"1","token":"32.1\/5\/1","url":"\/32.1\/5\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12728,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Medical Care Facilities and Services","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12727,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":202855,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12728,"identifier":"5","token":"32.1\/5","url":"\/32.1\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12727,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health","identifier":"32.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":201099,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12727,"identifier":"32.1","token":"32.1","url":"\/32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":80727,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-123","catch_line":"(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions","url":"\/32.1-123\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-123","metadata":false},{"id":75042,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-124","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/32.1-124\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-124","metadata":false},{"id":58545,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125","catch_line":"Establishment or operation of hospitals and nursing homes prohibited without license or certification; licenses not transferable","url":"\/32.1-125\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125","metadata":false},{"id":63548,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.01","catch_line":"Failing to report; penalty","url":"\/32.1-125.01\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.01","metadata":false},{"id":59071,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.1","catch_line":"Inspection of hospitals by state agencies generally","url":"\/32.1-125.1\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.1","metadata":false},{"id":78537,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.2","catch_line":"Disclosure of other providers of services","url":"\/32.1-125.2\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.2","metadata":false},{"id":58917,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.3","catch_line":"Bed capacity and licensure in hospitals designated as critical access hospitals; designation as rural hospital","url":"\/32.1-125.3\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.3","metadata":false},{"id":55275,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.4","catch_line":"Retaliation or discrimination against complainants","url":"\/32.1-125.4\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.4","metadata":false},{"id":70129,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-125.5","catch_line":"Confidentiality of complainant's identity","url":"\/32.1-125.5\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-125.5","metadata":false},{"id":60850,"structure_id":12729,"section_number":"32.1-126","catch_line":"Commissioner to inspect and to issue licenses to or assure compliance with certification requirements for hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities; 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This law was first created in 2002. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 835<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2003, chapter 464<\/a>; in 2009, chapters 813<\/a> and 840<\/a>; in 2012, chapters 803<\/a> and 835<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":58930,"section_number":"32.1-127.1:03","catch_line":"Health records privacy","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-127.1_03\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":74231,"section_number":"32.1-35","catch_line":"List and reports of diseases and dangerous microbes and pathogens","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-35\/"}],"permalink":{"id":202955,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84892,"identifier":"32.1-127.1:04","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-127.1_04","url":"\/32.1-127.1_04\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/32.1-127.1_04\/","token":"32.1\/5\/1\/32.1-127.1_04","dublin_core":{"Title":"Use or disclosure of certain protected health information required","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 32.1-127.1:04","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and the delivery of health care benefits are hereby declared to be (i) necessary public health activities; (ii) necessary health oversight activities for the integrity of the health care system; and (iii) necessary to prevent serious harm and serious threats to the health and safety of individuals and the public. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Departments<\/span> of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services, and the Departments<\/span> for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing<\/span>, or any successors in interest thereof shall establish a secure system for sharing protected health information that may be necessary for the coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and for the delivery of health care benefits when such protected information concerns individuals who (i) have contracted a reportable disease, including exposure to a toxic substance, as required by the Board<\/span> of Health pursuant to § 32.1-35<\/a> or other disease or disability required to be reported by law<\/span>; (ii) are the subjects of public health surveillance, public health investigations, or public health interventions<\/span> or are applicants for or recipients of medical assistance services; (iii) have been or are the victims of child abuse or neglect or domestic violence; or (iv) may present a serious threat to health or safety of a person<\/span> or the public or may be subject to a serious threat to their health or safety. For the purposes of this section, “public health interventions<\/span>” shall include the services provided through the Departments<\/span> for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing<\/span>, or any successors in interest thereof.\n\t\t\tPursuant to the regulations concerning patient privacy promulgated by the federal Department<\/span> of Health and Human Services, covered entities may disclose protected health information to the secure system without obtaining consent or authorization for such disclosure. Such protected health information shall be used exclusively for the purposes established in this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The Office of the Attorney General<\/span> shall advise the Departments<\/span> of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Social Services and the Departments<\/span> for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing<\/span>, or any successors in interest thereof, in the implementation of this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUSE OR DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION REQUIRED (\u00a7\n32.1-127.1:04)\n\nA. The coordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability\nand the delivery of health care benefits are hereby declared to be (i) necessary\npublic health activities; (ii) necessary health oversight activities for the\nintegrity of the health care system; and (iii) necessary to prevent serious harm\nand serious threats to the health and safety of individuals and the public.\n\nB. The Departments of Health, Medical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and\nDevelopmental Services, and Social Services, and the Departments for Aging and\nRehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and\nHard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof shall establish a secure\nsystem for sharing protected health information that may be necessary for the\ncoordination of prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability and for\nthe delivery of health care benefits when such protected information concerns\nindividuals who (i) have contracted a reportable disease, including exposure to\na toxic substance, as required by the Board of Health pursuant to § 32.1-35\nor other disease or disability required to be reported by law; (ii) are the\nsubjects of public health surveillance, public health investigations, or public\nhealth interventions or are applicants for or recipients of medical assistance\nservices; (iii) have been or are the victims of child abuse or neglect or\ndomestic violence; or (iv) may present a serious threat to health or safety of a\nperson or the public or may be subject to a serious threat to their health or\nsafety. For the purposes of this section, “public health\ninterventions” shall include the services provided through the Departments\nfor Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the Blind and Vision Impaired, and the\nDeaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors in interest thereof.\n\t\t\tPursuant to the regulations concerning patient privacy promulgated by the\nfederal Department of Health and Human Services, covered entities may disclose\nprotected health information to the secure system without obtaining consent or\nauthorization for such disclosure. Such protected health information shall be\nused exclusively for the purposes established in this section.\n\nC. The Office of the Attorney General shall advise the Departments of Health,\nMedical Assistance Services, Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and\nSocial Services and the Departments for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, the\nBlind and Vision Impaired, and the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, or any successors\nin interest thereof, in the implementation of this section.\n\nHISTORY: 2002, c. 835; 2003, c. 464; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2012, cc. 803, 835.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}