Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 68.

Present law authorizes the commissioner of health to: (1) Declare quarantine whenever, in the commissioner's judgment, the welfare of the public requires it; and (2) Prescribe such rules to prevent the introduction of epidemic diseases into the state. Present law also authorizes county health officers to order: (1) The quarantine of any place or person, if the county health officer finds that quarantine is necessary to protect the public health from an epidemic; (2) The closure of any public establishment, facility, or building if the county health officer finds unsanitary conditions of such a nature and extent to significantly threaten the public health; or (3) The closure of any public establishment, facility, or building, if the county health officer is otherwise authorized by law to take that action. This bill replaces the powers of the commissioner of health and county health officers, as described above. Under this bill, when the governor declares a state of emergency due to a disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, the department of health will be required to form a committee to advise the department on how and when to implement quarantine and disease communication tracking procedures. The committee will be composed of the following officials, or their designees: the governor; the speaker of the senate; the speaker of the house of representatives; each constitutional officer; and the commissioner of health. During a state of emergency due to a disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, the committee will meet at least weekly, and members may participate remotely. On the last day of each month during which a state of emergency is effective, this bill requires the committee to report to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate and the chair of the health committee of the house of representatives the current quarantine and disease communication tracking procedures in use by the department. Otherwise, the committee shall report on the department's quarantine and disease communication tracking preparedness no later than January 31 of each year in which an applicable state of emergency is effective. The committee will cease to exist when the state of emergency for which it was formed ends. This bill requires county health departments to publish the following information on the department of health's website at least weekly during an applicable declared state of emergency: (1) Total tests administered for the disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic; (2) Total positive tests; (3) Type of test used; (4) Number of cases of the disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic detected with each type of test; (5) Number of asymptomatic cases; and (6) Number of symptomatic cases. ON MAY 3, 2021, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 370, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to require each county health department to report to the department of health, as practicable, the following information within five business days of quarantine and disease communication tracking procedures being implemented in response to a declared state of emergency due to a disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, and weekly thereafter until the state of emergency is no longer effective: (1) Total positive tests; (2) Types of tests used; (3) Number of cases of the disease outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic detected with each type of test; and (4) Number of asymptomatic cases. This amendment requires the department of health to publish on its publicly accessible website the information as obtained from each county health department pursuant to items (1)-(4) above. AMENDMENT #2 adds the total of known false positive tests to the types of information that county health departments will be required to include in the weekly reports to the department of health pursuant to this bill.