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An Act Regarding Disclosure of Health Care Information of a Deceased Person
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1711-C, sub-§6, ¶S, as amended by PL 2015, c. 370, §4, is further amended to read:
 
S. To a member of the public who asks a health care facility about an individual by name, of the room number of the individual and brief confirmation of general health status unless expressly prohibited by the individual or a person acting pursuant to subsection 3-B; and
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §1711-C, sub-§6, ¶T, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 370, §5, is amended to read:
 
T. To a lay caregiver designated by an individual pursuant to section 1711-G.; and
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §1711-C, sub-§6, ¶U  is enacted to read:
 
U.  If an individual is deceased, to a member of the individual's immediate family upon request of the immediate family member. For purposes of this paragraph, "immediate family" means a spouse, parent or adult who is a child, grandchild or sibling of the individual and includes the parent or guardian of a minor child of the deceased when there is documented need for parental medical history for the health and well-being of that minor child.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires a health care practitioner or facility to provide health care information of a deceased person to an immediate family member upon request of the family member, including the parent or guardian of a minor child of the deceased when there is documented need for parental medical history for the health and well-being of that minor child.