Requires certain providers to perform intimate partner violence screenings and all health care professionals to take certain actions to prevent perpetrators of intimate partner violence from obtaining copies of victim's medical record.
What changed between versions
Screening frequency changed from vague 'periodic' to specifically 'annually or at an interval recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,' giving providers a clear schedule while allowing flexibility based on medical guidance.
The mandatory requirement for providers to require patients to reapprove their list of persons authorized to access medical records was deleted. Only the advisory provision remains, which tells patients they may remove an alleged perpetrator from that list.
Documentation requirements changed from mandating that providers record 'any specific evidence supporting the findings' to including related documentation only 'with the patient's consent,' shifting from a mandatory evidentiary standard to a consent-based approach.
A new exception was added to the private screening requirement: screening no longer requires only the provider and patient to be present if the patient has consented to have another person present.
Referral language changed from 'health care providers' to 'health care professionals,' broadening the category of people to whom patients may be referred after a positive screening.
Pre-enactment administrative action by the Commissioners of Children and Families and Health changed from mandatory ('shall take') to optional ('may take'), giving agencies discretion about whether to begin preparations before the law takes effect.
