CA SB1296

Requires the State Department of Public Health to complete an evaluation of California's viral surveillance capacity by January 1, 2024, including a comprehensive list of public health and private clinical laboratories conducting viral surveillance and genomic sequencing.

Mandates the department establish a "Viral Surveillance Hub" (VSH) by January 1, 2025, to coordinate timely communication with laboratories that identify potential novel viruses or variants.

Requires laboratories conducting viral surveillance to report identified potential novel viruses or variants to VSH within timeframes established by the department and submit samples for next-generation sequencing analysis.

Directs VSH to conduct or contract for next-generation sequencing of submitted samples and have resulting viral sequences published on public sequence databases such as GISAID with a hyperlink on the department's website.

Requires VSH to notify local health departments and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upon confirmed detection of a new virus or variant in the population.