CDPH Issues Emergency Regulations on Communicable Disease Demographic Data

On Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued emergency regulations requiring the collection of data on race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency regulations require providers to continue to collect and report to CDPH race and ethnicity data and collect and report a patient’s gender identity and sexual orientation so the state has more information on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The regulations also require laboratories to collect and report to the state race and ethnicity data.

The regulations apply to all reportable communicable disease conditions, including COVID-19, and took effect immediately on Tuesday. A copy of the regulations is available here. A CDPH news release on the emergency regulations is available here.