AN ACT to require the department of health and human services to establish a statewide surveillance and reporting system for health care‑associated infections and to subject hospitals to the requirements of the statewide surveillance and reporting system.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 6 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Part to read:
"Part 1A. Health Care‑Associated Infections.
"§ 130A‑150.  Statewide surveillance and reporting system.
(a)	By December 31, 2011, the Department, in consultation with the State HAI Advisory Group and in accordance with rules adopted by the Commission pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, shall establish a statewide surveillance and reporting system for specified healh care-associated infections.
(b)	The Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement the statewide surveillance and reporting system established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The rules shall specify uniform standards for surveillance and reporting of specified health care‑associated infections under the statewide surveillance and reporting system. The uniform standards shall include at least all of the following:
(1)	A preference for electronic surveillance of specified health care‑associated infections to the greatest extent practicable.
(2)	A requirement for electronic reporting of specified health care‑associated infections.
(c)	Each hospital, as defined in G.S. 131E‑76(3), is subject to the statewide surveillance and reporting system established in accordance with subsection (a) of this section and shall be responsible for health care‑associated infections surveillance and reporting of specified health care‑associated infections data to the Department through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health Care Safety Network.
(d)	The Department shall release to the public aggregated and provider-specific data on health care‑associated infections that does not contain social security numbers or other personal identifying information only if it deems the release of this data to be reliable and necessary to protect the public's health."
SECTION 2.  Not later than December 31, 2011, and annually thereafter, the State Department of Health and Human Services shall report to the General Assembly on its efforts related to the North Carolina State Plan on Healthcare Associated Infections or any other matter it considers relating to Healthcare Associated Infections.  The State HAI Advisory Group shall advise the Department on whether current science and processes are available to adequately gather and report to the public infection rates and implementation of infection prevention controls, which include providing provider specific information that does not contain patient‑identifiable information and accounts for appropriate risk adjustment specific to the provider, and whether current federal or State licensure, accreditation, or other standards are appropriate to foster an appropriate and adequate infection control system in health care settings. The Department shall include in its annual report findings, recommendations, and any suggested legislation.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 17th day of June, 2011.

	s/	 Walter H. Dalton
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 Thom Tillis
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 Governor

Approved 1:20 p.m. this 27th day of June, 2011