Health and care facilities: information sharing.

Senator Arreguín's healthcare privacy legislation expands California's medical information protections to include immigration status and place of birth while establishing new protocols restricting access to patient data for immigration enforcement purposes. The bill amends the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act to broaden protected health information and requires healthcare facilities to implement specific safeguards against unauthorized disclosure.

Under the legislation, healthcare providers must establish monitoring procedures for facility visitors and immediately notify management of any immigration enforcement requests for access to facilities or patient records. The bill prohibits providers from granting access to non-public areas without a valid judicial warrant and requires staff training on handling immigration-related inquiries. Healthcare facilities must designate treatment areas and locations where protected health information is discussed as restricted spaces.

The measure applies to state-operated facilities, university medical centers, and private healthcare providers that receive state funding. Facilities have 45 days from the bill's effective date to implement the required protocols. As an urgency statute, the legislation would take effect immediately upon enactment to ensure vulnerable populations can access medical care without fear of immigration enforcement, according to the bill's findings.