Senate committee advances uterine-fibroid research database and privacy protections

The fiscal-policy committee advanced two companion measures aimed at improving state data and protecting patient privacy for uterine fibroid research.

Sponsor Senator Sharif told senators CS for SB196 would ensure uterine fibroids are explicitly included in Department of Health disease tracking and research, improving data quality for policymakers, clinicians and public-health officials. Sharif described fibroids as a leading cause of chronic pain, heavy bleeding, infertility and hysterectomies and emphasized health disparities: "Black women are 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with fibroids than white women," Senator Bracy Davis noted when praising the bill.

The committee also considered CS for SB864, a narrowly tailored public-records companion bill that Senator Sharif said would protect personally identifying and sensitive medical information submitted to the uterine fibroid research database, consistent with HIPAA and state and federal law, and set a standalone effective date of July 1, 2026. No opposition was recorded in the committee, and both measures were reported favorably.

Senator Sharif closed SB196 by sharing personal experience with fibroid disease and asked for the committee's favorable support. The measures proceed to the full Senate for further consideration.