Cancer Reporting Legislation
New AnnouncementOn October 13, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 344 into law (SB 344 Chaptered), authored by the California Legislature. This legislation makes amendments to the Health and Safety Code § 103885 and will go into effect on January 1, 2024. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ |
Cancer reporting is regulated by federal and state laws. Together, these laws establish the requirements for reporting and the accuracy, quality, and timeliness of reporting, as well as protecting patient confidentiality. In recent legislation passed in 2016, California Assembly Bill 2325 (AB 2325) mandated that all pathologists report electronically before January 1, 2019.
Timeline
1971
President Nixon signs the National Cancer Act into law, invoking a “war on cancer” and budgeting governmental funds to support the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the first time.
1973
The National Cancer Institute establishes the first national registry, known as Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER).
1985-1988
California Cancer Registry (CCR) is established in accordance with California Health and Safety (HSC) code, sections 103875 – 103885, requiring that cancer information be reported by law. HSC code section 100330 is also passed, requiring that all information collected remains confidential, and patients informed, in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 2593.
1992
Congress passes the Cancer Registries Amendment Act, establishing the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).
2016
California Assembly Bill 2325 (AB 2325) is signed into law. Pathologists diagnosing cancer are required to report every cancer diagnosis to CCR electronically before January 1, 2019. Learn more about AB 2325.
1998
The Cancer Registries Amendment Act is expanded to authorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide funds to states and regions to improve, plan, and expand registries, establish electronic reporting, and improve standards for data submissions
1996
The US Congress passes the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or “HIPAA”—a law requiring uniform federal privacy protections for individually identifiable health information. Learn more about HIPAA.
Reporting News
All pathologists are required to report cancer diagnoses electronically before January 1, 2019.
Learn more about implementing AB 2325.
