N.Y. PBH Law § 576-C

§ 576-c. Electronic reporting of disease and specimen submission. 1.\nWhenever a clinical laboratory or blood bank is otherwise required by\nthis chapter to report evidence of a disease or health condition to the\ncommissioner or a local health officer, the laboratory director shall\nreport the test results and such data elements as are determined by the\ncommissioner to be necessary as authorized by law. All reports shall be\nsent electronically to the department in a standards based electronic\nformat, using a network, communications protocol, clinical syntax and\nvocabulary all as determined by the commissioner to be compatible with\nnational health information standards promulgated by the federal centers\nfor disease control and prevention and the department of health and\nhuman services. Reports shall be submitted on a schedule determined by\nthe commissioner.\n 2. Clinical laboratories and blood banks may continue to submit\nreports in paper copy to the commissioner and/or local health officer as\notherwise required by this chapter until the earlier of the date the\nlaboratory director receives notice that the laboratory has been\ncertified to report electronically or one year after the effective date\nof this section. Thereafter, all reports shall be sent electronically to\nthe department.\n 3. In the event the system for electronic reporting is unavailable for\nany reason, including lack of certification for electronic reporting,\nclinical laboratories and blood banks shall make reports to the local\nhealth officer of the county of the patient's residence and the\ncommissioner using an alternate mechanism determined by the\ncommissioner.\n 4. Whenever the commissioner or a local health officer determines that\nsupplemental testing is necessary to confirm evidence of a disease or\nhealth condition otherwise required to be reported to the commissioner\nor a local health officer pursuant to this chapter, or to further\nidentify the characteristics of a causative agent for reasons of public\nhealth protection, the laboratory shall submit all or part of the\nspecimen or its derivatives with patient identifiers to the department\nor its designee, or the local health officer or his or her designee, in\na manner and as directed by the commissioner.\n 5. The commissioner may adopt rules and regulations necessary to\nimplement the provisions of this section.\n