A. The department shall establish testing and screening procedures and programs to identify conditions of public health importance among individuals or among the general population of the state. The department shall:

1. (1) prior to testing or screening, explain to the individual the nature, scope, purposes, benefits, risks and possible outcomes of the test or screening, except as otherwise provided pursuant to this section or by state law;
2. (2) have a valid and reliable test for the condition of public health importance;
3. (3) when administering a test or screening, identify a condition of public health importance that poses a threat to an individual's or the public's health and that may be avoided, cured, alleviated or made less contagious through safe and effective treatment, modifications in individual behavior or public health interventions; and

4. (4) fully inform the individual of the individual's results, the meaning of the results, the possible need for additional testing and the availability of appropriate health care services, including mental health care and social and support services. If appropriate, the department shall provide counseling or inform the individual where such counseling services are available.

   B. The department may petition for the issuance of a court order to require testing or medical examination of any individual who has or may have been exposed to a condition of public health importance that poses a significant risk or threat to the individual or others or to the public's health, in accordance with procedures established by department rules.

History: Laws 2017, ch. 87, § 19.

ANNOTATIONS

Effective dates. — Laws 2017, ch. 87 contained no effective date provision, but, pursuant to N.M. Const., art. IV, § 23, was effective June 16, 2017, 90 days after the adjournment of the legislature.