§ 576-c. Electronic reporting of disease and specimen submission. 1. Whenever a clinical laboratory or blood bank is otherwise required by this chapter to report evidence of a disease or health condition to the commissioner or a local health officer, the laboratory director shall report the test results and such data elements as are determined by the commissioner to be necessary as authorized by law. All reports shall be sent electronically to the department in a standards based electronic format, using a network, communications protocol, clinical syntax and vocabulary all as determined by the commissioner to be compatible with national health information standards promulgated by the federal centers for disease control and prevention and the department of health and human services. Reports shall be submitted on a schedule determined by the commissioner.

2. Clinical laboratories and blood banks may continue to submit reports in paper copy to the commissioner and/or local health officer as otherwise required by this chapter until the earlier of the date the laboratory director receives notice that the laboratory has been certified to report electronically or one year after the effective date of this section. Thereafter, all reports shall be sent electronically to the department.

3. In the event the system for electronic reporting is unavailable for any reason, including lack of certification for electronic reporting, clinical laboratories and blood banks shall make reports to the local health officer of the county of the patient's residence and the commissioner using an alternate mechanism determined by the commissioner.

4. Whenever the commissioner or a local health officer determines that supplemental testing is necessary to confirm evidence of a disease or health condition otherwise required to be reported to the commissioner or a local health officer pursuant to this chapter, or to further identify the characteristics of a causative agent for reasons of public health protection, the laboratory shall submit all or part of the specimen or its derivatives with patient identifiers to the department or its designee, or the local health officer or his or her designee, in a manner and as directed by the commissioner.

5. The commissioner may adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.