(a) There is a Biological Agents Registry Program in the Department.
Duties of Registry
(b) The Biological Agents Registry shall:
(1) Identify the biological agents possessed and maintained by any person in this State; and
(2) Contain other information as required by regulations adopted by the Department.
Scope of regulations
(c) The Department shall adopt regulations for the implementation of the Program that:
(1) Determine and list the biological agents required to be reported under this subtitle;
(2) Designate the persons required to make reports and the specific information required to be reported;
(3) Designate time limits for reporting, the form of reports, and the persons to whom reports are to be submitted;
(4) Require local jurisdictions to be informed of the location and nature of each biological agent in the Registry that is located within the local jurisdiction;
(5) Provide for the release of information in the Biological Agents Registry to:
(i) State and federal law enforcement agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pursuant to a communicable disease investigation commenced or conducted by the Department or other State or federal law enforcement agency having investigatory authority, or in connection with any investigation involving release, theft, or loss of biological agents;
(ii) The Maryland Department of Emergency Management and the Maryland Department of the Environment for the purposes of planning for the protection of the public in relation to the release of a biological agent and the prevention of a release of a biological agent; and
(iii) The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems for the purposes of providing certain specified information to:
1. A police officer, as defined in § 3-201(f) of the Public Safety Article, responding to an emergency; and
2. A fire, rescue, or emergency medical services entity, as defined in § 7-101 of the Public Safety Article, performing emergency services, responding to a fire or other emergency, or dispatched on a call for emergency services;
(6) Establish a system of safeguards that requires persons possessing, maintaining, and transferring biological agents subject to this subtitle to comply with the same federal standards that apply to persons registered to transfer the same agents under federal law; and
(7) Establish a process for persons that possess and maintain biological agents to alert appropriate authorities of unauthorized possession or attempted possession of biological agents.
Credits
Added by Acts 2002, c. 361, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2002. Amended by Acts 2004, c. 59, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2004; Acts 2016, c. 8, § 5; Acts 2021, c. 287, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 288, § 2, eff. Oct. 1, 2021.
MD Code, Health - General, § 17-602, MD HEALTH GEN § 17-602
Current through legislation effective through May 9, 2024, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
