Beginning October 1, 2026, a health care facility, other than a pharmacy licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 117, shall ensure that data related to sexual orientation and gender identity is collected from an individual who is 19 years of age or older when demographic information is collected, unless the individual declines to answer questions regarding the individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. This data is part of the individual's electronic health record. For the purposes of this section, "health care facility" has the same meaning as in section 1711‑C, subsection 1, paragraph D, "health care information" has the same meaning as in section 1711‑C, subsection 1, paragraph E and "individual" has the same meaning as in section 1711‑C, subsection 1, paragraph G, except that in this section it is limited to an individual who is 19 years of age or older. Data collected pursuant to this section is health care information that is subject to the confidentiality requirements of section 1711‑C.   [PL 2025, c. 255, §1 (AMD).]