Missouri lawmakers approve local health registries

County officials could compile lists of residents with health problems under a Missouri bill intended to identify people in need of help during disasters.

The bill given final approval Thursday by the Senate allows the creation of voluntary registries of people with “health-related ailments” who may need assistance in emergencies. The House passed the bill earlier, so it now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon.

The identities of people on the list would be exempt from disclosure under Missouri’s open-records law. But an incident report would be made public if any of the people are involved in a disaster or emergency.

This story was originally published April 24, 2014 at 11:53 AM with the headline "Missouri lawmakers approve local health registries."