The director shall maintain a system for the collection of information, necessary to accomplish the purposes of this chapter. The director shall require health facilities, with 15 days’ notice, to make available to authorized program staff the medical records of children suspected or diagnosed as having birth defects, including the medical records of their mothers. In addition, health facilities shall make available the medical records of mothers suspected or diagnosed with stillbirths or miscarriages and other records of persons who may serve as controls for interview studies about the causes of birth defects. If it is necessary to photocopy records made available under this section, copying expenses shall be paid by the state department.

“Health facilities” as used in this section means general acute care hospitals, and physician-owned or operated clinics, as defined in Section 1200, that regularly provide services for the diagnosis or treatment of birth defects, genetic counseling, or prenatal diagnostic services.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1996.)