Subdivision 1.Establishment.

The commissioner of health shall establish and maintain an information system containing data on the cause, treatment, prevention, and cure of major birth defects. The commissioner shall consult with representatives and experts in epidemiology, medicine, insurance, health maintenance organizations, genetics, consumers, and voluntary organizations in developing the system and may phase in the implementation of the system. Sections 144.2215 to 144.2219 apply to birth defects that develop during pregnancy and:

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(1) result in live births; or

(2) result in fetal deaths, reportable under section 144.222.

Subd. 2.Duties of commissioner.

The commissioner of health shall design a system that allows the commissioner to:

(1) monitor incidence trends of birth defects to detect potential public health problems, predict risks, and assist in responding to birth defects clusters;

(2) more accurately target intervention, prevention, and services for communities, patients, and their families;

(3) inform health professionals and citizens of the prevalence of and risks for birth defects;

(4) conduct scientific investigation and surveys of the causes, mortality, methods of treatment, prevention, and cure for birth defects;

(5) modify, as necessary, the birth defects information system through demonstration projects;

(6) remove identifying information about a child whose parent or legal guardian has chosen not to participate in the system as permitted by section 144.2216, subdivision 4;

(7) protect the individually identifiable information as required by section 144.2217;

(8) limit the dissemination of identifying information as required by sections 144.2218 and 144.2219; and

(9) use the birth defects coding scheme defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States Public Health Service.