H.B. 263 (last time)

[analkant]

The bad news first: Three days after emailing the ACLU, I received a reply saying, basically, "we can't read emails until six to eight weeks after receiving them. We can't help with emergencies, sorry

Comments

[pewter_wings]

I still fail to see why there needs to be this law.

[analkant]

I second that. But if we petitioned every time a pointless law was passed we'd never have time to do anything else.

[issac_spinoza]

you were concerned and reasonably so... This law still sounds disconcerting to say the least.

[lnaphx]

Still, I think the law is a bunch of bunk. So let's say that the autistic people leave the state - does that mean that the local autistic "epidemic" is slowing down? That is one idea of how the aggregate data could get misinterpreted.

I wonder if a drug company pushed for this for reasearch on drugs waiting for promotion 20 years from today.

The idea that it required a *law* could also mean that doctors cannot deny the state the information. For now, the information is anonymous, but in a couple years, when this thing is forgotten, they might agument that law to include more information, because the group using this info will want more info to clarify results. So it may be anonymous, and then again, they may be saying that the end product is anonymous, but the retrieval of this data is not private.

Don't know, except one thing: I'm never moving to Utah. /end paranoia

[analkant]

It looks a lot like they're not retrieving individual data. I'm pretty sure they can't, legally. So the retrieval of this aggregate statistical data would necessarily be private. Yet again, the text of the law doesn't preclude taking private data, but it is superceded by HIPAA which does preclude that. The biggest possible problem with this law is that it could one day be used, as The Patriot Act has been, to take what some assholes want and ignore all other laws. However, a law being passed won't increase the odds of that.

[mysticsong]

I think it is appalling to learn the ACLU doesn't deal with emergencies!

[analkant]

I think it's just because they can't react quickly enough. They're probably bogged down by bureaucracy like every other large organization. I can forgive them for it, though it is clearly inconvenient.

[elvenforever]

Hey, I'm not sure anyone has mentioned this, since I'm new, but has anybody yet talked about Elizabeth Moon's
the speed of dark? Apparently it's the fictional account from the viewpoint of an autistic person of him going through some "cure" for autism...and how that completely wrecks his life. (I think!) My autistic friend who did read it (I didn't) said it was excellent.